Devotion
by RansomeNote
Summary: After being transported 400 years into the future, Natsu, an ancient warrior, must try to survive in the modern world, all while trying to fight the conflicting principle of attraction when he meets local chef, Lucy Heartfilia. Modern!AU
1. An Injured Warrior

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

A bell chimed in the door, alerting everyone in the facility that someone had entered the building. The two people, a young couple by the look of it, stood next to the receptionist's desk while she sent one of the workers to check if there were any empty seats. It was a particularly busy Friday afternoon, mostly because the local high school had their day off today and it was their favorite place to go. Despite the big rush, the kitchen staff, which consisted of the owner and her most trusted friend, still managed to get all of their dishes out on time. The blonde owner worked like a professional, even though it was only her first year owning the restaurant.

Lucy's Japanese Bistro was a restaurant whose food was a delicacy and didn't come too overpriced. Though Lucy herself was not Japanese, she was born and raised there for eleven years before she and her family moved back to Fiore, where her family was originally from, so her father could pursue his business. Now, the 26-year-old owned the small establishment by herself, making it her life goal to give her customers gourmet food for a low price. It didn't only have good food, but it was also a beautiful sight. While it wasn't a very big area, the restaurant screamed traditional with beautiful pastel-colored screens of cherry blossoms and nature, ebony floorboards, hard wood kotatsus (low Japanese tables) and decorated golden pillows, and murals depicting folklore from both Fiore and Japan.

"Yellowtail Sashimi Special!" She yelled and put the dish on top of the glass counter in the kitchen for one of her few waiters to take. Her doe brown eyes closed as she breathed a heavy sigh before getting to work on the next dish.

"Lucy, please calm down. You will end up being sick again from how much you're overworking yourself." The silver-haired beauty said from beside her, finishing up on the seasoning of some unagi. Lucy looked over towards her.

"Don't worry about me Yukino, I'm fine." The woman, referred to as Yukino, pouted. She was, in Lucy's opinion, the sweetest girl to ever walk the Earth. When she was being cantankerous and moody, Yukino sat through all of that, giving her a much needed pep talk or just listening to what she had to say. Even though Yukino was three years younger than her, she was still her best friend, which is why Lucy trusts her to manage the kitchen beside her. However, because Yukino was five months pregnant now, she had to be extra careful with what she did.

"If anything," Lucy started smartly. "I should be telling you to calm down. You don't want to put too much stress on yourself. For both your and my sake." Lucy joked. It was true, not only would it be bad for Yukino's baby, but her husband, Rogue, would surely come after her head if anything happened to his wife.

"If anything happened to you, Rogue would have to take it up with your brother." Yukino said as she finished up her dish and rung for the waiter to pick it up.

There were lots of words to describe Lucy's brother- loud, short-tempered, sporty, and most definitely protective. Sting Eucliffe Heartfilia was her younger adopted brother and had been her inspiration to do what she loved. It was Sting who convinced their father that she would not like business (while also indirectly insulting her by saying that she wouldn't be any good at it), so she owes him a lot. She did end up opening a business, but that also required the skill of a chef, which he pushed her to become. No, literally. He pushed her out the door of their house and didn't let her come back inside until she was registered in culinary school.

Sting was also Rogue's best friend. But regardless, if something happened to Lucy on Rogue's accord, her younger brother would see to it that Rogue was disposed of.

Lucy just shrugged at Yukino's statement, looking over at the time. "Yuki, it's two o'clock. You can go on lunch break now. I'll finish up the rest of the dishes."

"It's fine Lucy, I can hel-" A loud stomach growl erupted in the room, making Yukino's face turn a bright red and Lucy's eyebrow raise. "On second thought, I think you're right." Lucy just smiled and nodded.

* * *

It was around nine pm when they closed, and their last customer just paid their check before exiting into the cold autumn night. Lucy, Yukino, and their fur waiters wiped down the tables and cleaned up all of the plates. Before Lucy knew it, she and Yukino were the only two left. Yukino was waiting for Rogue to pick her up, and he must have been running a little late because it was raining outside.

Rogue entered just as Lucy finished washing her last plate, shaking off his water-drenched umbrella before looking up and smiling at his wife and leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek. Rogue was at least a half foot taller than both Lucy and Yukino, with neck-length dark hair and a bang covering one of his vibrant red eyes. His fair skin tone matched Yukino's, but instead of giving him a pleasant vibe like it did her, it gave him a cold one, which also reflected his personality. Rogue was stoic, wasn't much of a talker, and rarely smiles if Sting or Yukino aren't in his presence. But still, he is a kind soul with just not much to say.

Rogue then turned to face her. "I trust that you're keeping her from working too hard." He said, and Lucy nodded. Yukino pouted and attempted to hit his chest, but he caught it and put both of their hands on her stomach. "Come on, the rain will only get worse." He told her, and she nodded, opening his umbrella. He turned back to face her. "Have a good night Lucy." He said.

Lucy gave a slight wave of her hand. "Likewise." And then they were out the door.

Lucy went to the back of the restaurant, which had a large wooden door that had the words 'AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY' one a large yellow sign on the door. Lucy took out her key from the sleeve of her yukata and unlocked the door, pushing it opened and locking it behind her. Behind this door was a small hallway that led to a living room, and also led to her bedroom a little further down. This was her favorite part of working where she did, her house was built into it!

Her living area was simple, yet cozy. The wooden floors were of the same material as in the restaurant, the walls were painted different neutral colors including grays, beiges, and whites. In her living room, there were two cream-colored couches face opposite to each other with a glass coffee table in the middle. The rug beneath them was one her mother had knitted her. It was round and had two swirls, one being black and one being white to represent Yin and Yang, without showing the actual symbol. In the corner of the room, near a second door that led outside, was a beautifully potted white orchid.

Her bedroom was also small, but it was able to fit her bed, a desk, a thin bookshelf, and a dresser, so she was content with it. Contrasting with the rest of her house, her room walls were colored a dark teal, and her bedding ranged between almost all of the shades of green. The desk was wooden and painted white with a cushioned chair next to it and a chandelier-like lamp on it. Her bookshelf held everything from different types of cookbooks to fantasy. It wasn't much, but she loved it. If anything, Lucy didn't need anything extravagant like what her father and brother owned to be happy. This simple life of hers was exactly how she wanted to live.

However, Lucy was about to find out that her life won't be so simple anymore.

* * *

Lucy woke up to the sound of chirping birds outside of her window and the sunlight streaming in. Unlike the girls in the movies or books, she did not stretch gracefully and welcome the new day. She groaned and messily threw the pillow over her head to try to go back to sleep. Some time last night, since she was so tired and she couldn't remember when, she had changed out of her cotton yukata into some old shorts that she probably stole from her brother and an oversized baby pink t-shirt.

The blonde peaked one eye opened and looked at her electronic clock, and seeing that it was almost eight, she decided to get up. Lucy rotated her neck a couple of times before she heard a satisfying crack. She lazily slipped out of her bed and made her way over to the bathroom, where she quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face before making her way over to the front of the restaurant to set the tables. If anyone looked through the transparent front door, they could see her in her night clothes, but she didn't care considering that the bistro does not open until 11:45 and the door wasn't facing a street. In fact, the building is actually a little secluded. It was neighbors with a road that traveled north on one side, but the closest building to hers was the high school which was about a quarter mile away.

Lucy set all of the tables, double moped the floor, washed the dishes once more, and then checked to see if she had all the ingredients she needed for the day. It then occurred to her that she was running out of the special herb that she uses to season all of her dishes. What that herb is was kept a secret from everyone, even Yukino who just uses it blindly without asking what it is. It's what makes the sushi and sashimi taste so good.

Luckily for her, there was an abundance of it in the forest near the restaurant. While the road next to her was on one side of the restaurant, Magnolia's signature forest was on the other. Stretching out over 3,000 acres, Magnolia Forest is home to some of the most beautiful plants and animals, and an often sought out camping spot for a lot of families. For Lucy, it was herb paradise.

Lucy quickly changed into some more appropriate clothes, put on her hiking boots and went out the door with her basket in hand. Once she reached the interior of the forest, her feet took her to her destination like autopilot, knowing exactly where to turn and what stream to follow. She crossed one of the thing logs that overlooked a small creek, where the water was barely flowing hard enough to be harmful if she had to cross it straightforward.

She finally reached the location she needed to and didn't waste any time to harvest all of the good plants. She would have to start buying the herb from the local apothecary now, since winter was rolling around in another month. But these herbs could luckily be preserved, so they would last her a long time.

Once Lucy had finished with her gathering, she made her way back to the creek so that she could go back home and prepare to open.

 _Snap!_

The sound of a snapping branch alerted her that she wasn't alone. True, it could be just some harmless rabbit and there have been no attacks of people in these forests for decades, but she really couldn't be sure. She willed her body to turn around, ready to drop her basket and run if needed. But what she saw was different than what she thought she would.

There was man with pink hair, his clothes tattered and his face pale. He had a streak of blood running from his forehead to his chin and he was breathing heavily. The one hand that was supporting him on the tree fell to the ground, leaving the stranger face down on the floor of leaves as his breathing slowed.

Lucy breathed an audible gasp before rushing over to the man, her basket forgotten. When she got over to him, she slowly flipped him over, examining any wounds that he may have had. It seemed that other than the slight cut on his head, he didn't look too physically harmed. However, he looked completely exhausted.

"Hey, stay with me, okay?" She asked as she tried to keep him awake. The man peered through his heavy lidded eyes at her before groaning and closing them again. Lucy quickly took off her jacket and wrapped the sleeve around the cut on his head to the best of her ability. She tried her hardest to ignore the biting cold since she had a person to take care of. "Don't worry, alright? I'll make sure you're okay." She knew the man couldn't hear her, since he was already unconscious.

She tried to lift his bigger body up, but it was proven to be difficult because he weighed more than her. While trying to lift him up, she felt his toned muscles under the odd clothing that he was wearing, making her blush. _Stupid Lucy! You have a person dying in your damn arms!_ She screamed at herself. She pushed herself to bring him back, and though it proved difficult, she eventually made it out of the forest.

However, this encounter was only the beginning.

 **So yes, I have started a new story because I was just so happy that I had finally got the SATs over with so I wanted to write something special. This is an idea I was harboring even when I was writing Ship of Lost Souls, so I decided to write it down since it seems like you guys like it when I write all of my ideas down. And I might or might not write an epilogue for SOLS, but we shall see.  
**

 **Also, I just wanted to point out that Natsu is NOT a samurai or ninja. He _is_ meant to resemble one, but because I myself am _not_ Japanese, I don't want to say anything that might offend one's culture, and therefore I am just making him the "Ancient Fiorian Warrior". **

**It would be amazing if you could tell me what you thought in the comments section because I would love to hear feedback from you. Do you guys want me to continue this story or do you want me to scrap it?**

 **I hope that everyone is having a beautiful winter day wherever they are! And of course, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!**


	2. Not From Here

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

He wasn't too certain what happened.

One moment, he was fighting a war. The second, he was trekking through some random forest. He couldn't be there, he had the priests to protect. He dragged his exhausted body into the forest, trying to keep himself awake. It looked like it was morning where he was, which was odd because the last time he checked, he was fighting in the night. His the clothing for warriors given by the feudal lord was tattered and when he looked down, he noticed something.

His sword was gone.

 _Damn._

He knew he felt less pressure on his waist.

He was about to go back and search for his sword, but he sensed movement near him, so he stood still. He slowly made his way through the forest towards the sound, ready to eliminate any potential threat, even in his fatigued state. But what he saw was much different than that.

It was a girl, one about his age, with blonde hair and beautiful brown eyes. She looked like she was carefully harvesting something from the ground, smiling as she dug up a plant and placed it in her basket. In his opinion, she was dressed very weirdly, in clothes he had never seen the girls back home wear. She wore trousers, which struck him as odd because only men wore those, and girls wore traditional dresses.

Once he saw the girl finish her picking, he decided that it was the best time to leave, wanting to find his belongings as soon as possible. But that was when he felt a sharp pain in his side, and had to hold on to the tree with one hand for support. His feet accidentally stepped on a branch, and he cursed himself for being so careless. He knew that the blonde girl was alerted of his presence, but he couldn't find the energy to look up at her. He finally fell to the ground, exhausted and hungry.

He heard the girl gasp and run over to him, turning him over and taking the upper half of his body in her arms. She placed her warm hand on his sweat-drenched cheek and tried to gently shake him awake.

"Hey, stay with me, okay?" He barely heard her because his mind was already going blank. He stole one gaze up at her and met her worried eyes before letting the darkness consume him. The last thing he remembered was being dragged carefully through the forest.

* * *

He snapped his eyes opened when he realized that he had been unconscious. He made a rash decision and decided to sit up quickly, eliciting a biting pain in his ribs, forcing him back down. He took a couple of deep breaths before trying again, only slower this time. He rested his back on the wall behind him as he took in his surroundings. The wooden floor seemed to be the only thing that was familiar to him, since he had some of the same flooring where he was from. However, everything else seemed completely foreign to him. He rested his hand on the bed he was laying on. It was plush, unlike the cots he usually slept on. Even most of the nobles did not sleep on beds like these to his knowledge, and definitely not ones as high as this one. He tensed his muscles and anticipated any incoming attacks. Unfamiliar places were dangerous, of course.

Upon closer inspection, he saw that he had no shirt on and that his forehead was wrapped. There was also a towel and some water in a pot next to his bedside. It seemed that whoever took him to their house was taking care of him.

His eyes narrowed as he heard the door open, bracing himself for any means of attack. However, he slowly loosened his muscles when he noticed that standing in the doorway was the same girl who he saw in the forest. Her clothing was now more familiar to him because she wore a silver kimono with golden trimmings and a white obi. Her golden hair was made into a bun with two strands framing her face. In her hands was a wooden tray with two cups that had some sort of steaming liquid in them.

When she locked eyes with him, he saw her smile, which made his eyes widened. By the way she looked, he assumed she was a priestess or something of that class. Most people with that high of a rank disregarded people like him. But he also couldn't help but notice that her smile was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"You're awake. Thank goodness." She said as she knelt next to him on the bed as she set the tray down on the floor. She looked up to meet his eyes, but he quickly averted his, knowing that it was disrespectful to look at people with high social status in the eye. He smelt a beautiful aroma and felt hot steam on his face. When he turned to see what it was, he saw that she was holding a mug up to him, filled with tea. "I thought that maybe you would like something hot to drink. I hope you don't mind green tea." She said sheepishly. He didn't want her to hold the mug up for him forever, so he quickly took it from her and bowed his head respectfully in thanks. Examining the cup, he noticed that it was not the usual porcelain that most royals had, but it was ceramic. He knew there was a chance that the liquid could be poisoned, but the woman just saved his life, so he could assume that she could be trusted.

He took one sip of the tea offered to him, and he suddenly became fully aware of his fatigue. The tea tasted amazing. It wasn't too sweet, which is what green tea should be like, and it had just the right amount of bitterness. He drank it greedily, but not too fast so that he wouldn't burn his esophagus. Once he finished, he let out a small sigh of content, but then scolded himself once again for being so careless. Warriors like him were supposed to hide emotions such as happiness and pain. But, there was something about this girl that was so...disarming.

"You must be really tired. From the clothes you were wearing, I could tell that you weren't from around here." She said as she stood up and put the tray with the two cups on her desk. Still not looking at her, he nodded. He already concluded that he wasn't home, but the way this woman was dressed didn't really differ from how the women he knew dressed. However, what she said next made him raise an eyebrow. "I'm sorry for the attire, I have to work in an hour."

He did a quick once over at her. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her attire. Maybe she was referring to not wearing the most expensive fabric in the presence of another, but that shouldn't matter when she is just in front of a warrior like him. And work? It was true, some women worked in his village, but they were mostly the middle class and they worked as waitresses. It could be different for where they were now.

 **(Remember, not supposed to be Japan, but old Fiore)**

"Where..." he croaked, but then gathered his voice. "where are my clothes?" He asked stoically. He hoped he hadn't sounded rude.

"Oh, I washed them. They were pretty dirty. They're in the dryer now." She said as she sat on the floor again.

 _What is a dryer?_ He thought, but didn't vocalize it and just nodded.

"So...I'm Lucy." She said, sticking her hand out for him to shake. "What's your name?" He stared at her hand with wide eyes, and she thought she did something wrong.

In his mind, he was wondering if she really wanted to shake his hand. He had no right to touch a noble, but it also seemed very disrespectful to not take it. He gently shook her hand and then got out of bed, much to her protest, and knelt on the floor next to her, bowing his head.

"Hello, Lady Lucy, it is an honor to meet you." He said. She laughed nervously.

"T-there's no need to bow. And...your name?" She said.

"Whatever you would like, Lady Lucy." He said, his head still bowed.

Okay, this guy was weird. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed, but she knew that none of these attempts were to woo her. There was something so genuine about the way he spoke. It was almost if he wasn't from this time.

"I would like your real name." She pushed with a smile. His head raised, but she also noticed that he didn't look her directly in the eye.

"My name is Natsu Dragneel. At your humble service, milady." He said as he bowed once more.

Lucy stood up. "Well, Natsu Dragneel, would you like anything to eat?"

Natsu was about to decline, since he had been trained to go without food for days. However, something in the girl's facial features was hopeful that he stayed. "If it is not too much trouble for you, milady."

"And you don't have to call me that either. Just call me Lucy." She said as she led him down a hall. He concealed the limp in his right leg, making sure to show no weakness. His ribs still hurt like crazy and his head was spinning, probably from the post-effects of exhaustion.

"No, it is improper to speak to someone of a higher status so casually." Natsu said as he stared at the ground. Lucy turned to look at him, and then became blatantly aware of how tall he was. It was true that he wasn't as tall as Rogue, but he was still a good five inches taller than her. She also took notice that he still had no shirt on, making her blush.

She forced herself to look up at his face. "I'm not anyone of higher status or importance." She said quickly. Hopefully he didn't recognize her as Jude Heartfilia's daughter. But why else would he refer to her as a "higher status"?

"You are not? But the way you dress is like one of a Lady." He stated. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief. So he didn't recognize her as Lucy Heartfilia, huh?

"A Lady?" Lucy asked. She then burst out laughing. "You really aren't from around here..." She said as she started to walk to the front again.

If Natsu wasn't so good at controlling his emotions, she would have surely seen his red cheeks.

When he exited the door of her house, he came to a room that was more familiar to him. Though it did have a more Asian touch to it, it looked like some of the restaurants from where he was from. However, there was something dangling from the ceiling scattered throughout the room, and it looked like it was concealing a light. Natsu was confused, what kind of lanterns were those? He also looked at the front door, and saw that it was glass. No doors back home were made of glass, all were made of wood or rock.

"Hey Natsu, you can take a seat!" Lucy called from another room. Natsu was still a bit wary, being in an unnatural area, but he supposed that he could trust Lucy, so he took a seat on one of the cushions near a kotastu. He sat on his knees with his back straight like he was taught. His eyes then landed on the drawings on the walls and got up to examine them.

The drawings depicted an ancient battle, one that he was familiar with. It was a battle between his village and a rebel group that called themselves Tartaros. He wasn't in this battle, of course, since it took place about ten years before he was born, but his teacher Master Makarov was in the battle, and happened to be one of the only survivors. Whoever this girl was, she had a deep respect for the arts.

"Are you interested in Fiorian history as well?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned to see Lucy there, a tray in her hands as she sat down at a table and started spreading out the food.

"Yes, very much so. It amazes how much people had sacrificed to save the village." He said, nodding at the drawing. "These drawings are impeccable, did you create them?" He asked as he knelt down next to her.

"Oh no, trust me, I'm a very bad artist." She said. "I had a friend of mine create these for me. But I'll tell them your compliment." She said as she handed him a cup of water.

He looked down at the meal she had created for him, and was amazed at the beautiful display of color. His mouth almost watered at the aroma it was giving, even though it was seafood. He then took a side glance at Lucy, who was pouring a dark substance into a small ceramic bowl. He couldn't believe he was being showed this much kindness, from a noble at that. This girl was certainly...

Weird.

However, he knew that he had to regain the energy that he had lost. He put a hand over his heart and then bowed down to touch his head to the table, muttering a few prayers before picking up his chopsticks lifting up a piece of sushi and putting it in his mouth. An explosion of flavors erupted inside of him. It was one of the most delicious things he had ever consumed. It was much more refined and flavorful than the usual rice porridge he was given where he was. He finished chewing and was about to take another bite, when Lucy's voice stopped him.

"You...blessed your food the old Fiorian way, didn't you?" She asked, as if it was the strangest thing in the world. He put his chopsticks down respectfully, and then turned to her, finally meeting her eye. He didn't see anything wrong with it, considering how Lucy was talking to him as if he was her equal.

"Yes, is that wrong?" He asked, wondering if he had offended her in any way. He also mulled over the fact that she had said 'old'. The tradition wasn't gone, and almost everyone in his village blessed their food like that. Maybe she was referring to how long that tradition had been around. He didn't know how long though, since he was never educated on the topic.

"Oh no! Of course not! I just...don't see many people doing it nowadays." She said as she copied his actions to bless her own food.

"Your people don't, milady? Where I am from, everyone blesses their food like that." Natsu stated as he took another bite of the sushi. After he chewed and swallowed, he turned his whole body towards her and bowed so his forehead was almost in her lap. "I also graciously thank you for this wonderful meal. I have never in my life tasted anything so exquisite, Lady Lucy."

"O-oh, well...thank you." She said as she blushed. "And like I told you, there is not need to call me anything like that. We're friends, aren't we?" Lucy asked.

"Friends?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to the side.

Lucy could feel her cheeks flare as she realized her mistake. "O-oh, u-um, sorry! I mean, I thought we were, but it's totally cool if you don't think so considering we just met and all and-" She was cut of when her hands were lifted by two rough ones and were placed to Natsu's forehead. She could feel his warm breath on the tips of her fingers. His eyes were closed and he looked as if he was concentrating. He then lowered her hands into her lap, still keeping his hold on them.

He then gave her a smile, the first smile she had ever seen on him. It was reserved, yet very genuine. "Lady Lucy, it would be my absolute honor to be your friend." Lucy smiled back, happy that she had made a new friend. Natsu went back to his food and smiled at her before he took another bite of the food she had prepared for him.

"Anyway Natsu, are you feeling better? Would you like me to take you to the hospital or call the doctor?" She asked.

"Oh no, there is no need to fetch a doctor. I am feeling just fine. You have already done so much for me." He said as he finished his last sip of water.

"It's really no trouble, I could just call them on my pho-" Before she could finish her sentence, the door opened, revealing Yukino.

"Lucy, I'm ready to wo-rk?" The last part of her sentence came off as a question, the reason being that there was a shirtless man having some food with her best friend. The man seemed to be very alerted by her presence, shown by how his muscles tensed.

"Ah, Yukino." Lucy said as she tore her gaze away from Natsu. She then looked at the time on the clock and gasped. It was almost time for the restaurant to open. "Oh no, I still need to get all of the preparations done in the kitchen." She said as she took Natsu's hand and led him back towards her room. He followed along aimlessly, just focused on their intertwined hands and making sure his slight limp was invisible. "I'm so sorry Natsu. I shouldn't have kept you awake longer than you should have been. You can rest on my bed until you're up to full health. If you need anything, you can come get me. I'll be in the kitchen." She said as she gently pushed him on the bed and covered him with blankets.

Natsu was in such a daze and everything was happening so fast that he didn't even notice that Lucy was already out the door. He felt a little cold without Lucy's presence, but he knew that she was busy at the moment, so it was no time for him to be selfish and go to her. He pushed some of the blankets off of him and swung his legs over the bed, looking around the strange room once again.

Something on the wall caught his eye. There was a sword with a black hilt and a silver scabbard hanging above her desk. He walked over towards it and pulled it off the wall, drawing out the blade from it's sheath. The sword was light, and it was finely crafted. It was definitely made by a master sword smith, and kept in brilliant condition. This was something that could keep him occupied, but he couldn't take from Lucy like that, not after how much she had done for him. However, it wasn't like he was stealing from her, he was just borrowing it to sharpen his own skills. Since he had lost his own sword, he needed to keep his teachings fresh in his mind until he found it. He could not risk being unarmed if an enemy happened to attack, especially with Lucy around.

Natsu's mind then traveled to his friends who were fighting on the front lines for his village. He didn't know where he was, or how he was going to get back home, but he needed to make sure he was ready so his friends could depend on him to have their back's.

With that thought, Natsu placed the sword back in it's scabbard and quietly went out the strange window of Lucy's, whose design took him five minutes to open.

* * *

"So Lucy," chirped Yukino, and Lucy knew she was in trouble. "who was that man you were talking to before hours?" Yukino asked in a sweet voice. Remember what she said about Yukino being one of the sweetest girls alive? While Lucy still stands by that statement, it doesn't mean that the silver-haired girl doesn't like to indulge in a little prying herself.

Lucy groaned. "He's _just_ a friend, Yukino." Lucy said as she got to work on the dish of the first customer of that day.

"I see. And why did this 'friend' of yours have his shirt off?" Yukino asked, and Lucy could detect a hint of slyness in her voice.

"I was just washing it for him! Look Yuki, I'm just letting him rest here because he's injured. The pour man could barely walk this morning."

Yukino's expression changed into one of worry. "Was he alright? Did he have anybody with him?" She asked.

"From what I can tell, no. But I should ask in case there is anyone looking for him." Lucy said.

"So, what's his name?" Yukino asked before she got another order from the waiters.

"It's Natsu, Natsu Dragneel." Something seemed to click in Yukino's mind.

"I've heard that surname before! Rogue and I went to the Ancient Fiorian Museum of History and Culture three days ago and our tour guide said that one of the paintings depicted a warrior with the last name Dragneel. I think his first name started with a Z, but I'm not sure." Yukino said.

"Maybe an ancestor? Natsu seems very well versed in the old manners, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise." Lucy said as she finished her Rainbow Roll and put it on the counter to be delivered. "Rainbow Roll!"

"Well versed in the old manners? Does he call you 'milady' or 'princess' or something like that?" When she saw Lucy's cheeks flare up, she knew she had gotten her answer. "AWWW! That is _so_ cute!" She cooed.

"S-shut up or I'm not paying you!" A flustered Lucy retorted. Yukino just laughed.

Why did she have to get stuck with people who always tormented her?

 **Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading today's chapter! If you would like to leave a comment expressing your thoughts, that would be awesome, but you don't have to. I hope everyone is having a very Happy Holidays with their family and/or friends!**

 **I wish everyone a beautiful day/night wherever they are! Okay, bye!**


	3. 400 Years

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

The woods, Natsu found, were an ideal place to practice swordsmanship. He practiced on the stubs of trees that were formerly cut down. He made sure not to strain himself, not only for his own benefit but also so Lucy didn't have to go through the trouble to nurse him back to health.

He had still yet to ask her why she was being so nice to him. It was not like he didn't appreciate it, because he had never been given this much kindness since he was a young boy, but he felt undeserving considering his status in society. He was supposed to be serving her as a warrior, not the other way around. Maybe the society that he was in right now was different, but from what he knew, every village had the same kind of social hierarchy as his. There were the peasants, the merchants, the nobles, the lord, and the warriors that worked under the lord. It wasn't like warriors like him were considered a low class, if anything, they are respected, but their main purpose in life was to serve their lord or lady, and that is why it was so odd that a woman like Lucy would be so nice to him.

Natsu looked up at the sky. He didn't know how long he had been in the forest, probably a couple of hours if he had to take a guess. He had started searching for his sword or looking for any clues as to which direction he came from. He might be able to find out where his village was if he asked Lucy, but he didn't want to leave just yet, and he hated himself for that. He cursed himself for indulging in the leisure that his hostess had granted him.

The sun had risen to it's highest peak, but the canopy of greenery shaded him from the protruding rays. He looked around the forest once again; lush greenery, a calm stream, and the sight of a few animals truly made it serene. The only noise that he could hear other than the quiet sound of his footsteps, which only his highly-trained ears could hear, was the calm chirping of a few birds.

Natsu gripped the sword's hilt again, and continued to slash at the tree stub. With a couple sharp slashes, the tree was broken in half. He then bowed to the tree, thanking it for the sacrifice it has made so he could improve his skills. It was a common ritual practiced by warriors such as himself.

"Please Mavis, bless the spirit of this noble life form." He said with his head bowed low. He then straightened himself and placed the sword back in it's scabbard, and went to return to Lucy. He memorized the path he had taken to get where he was now, an important tactic if you get separated from your regiment. He crossed the stream and jumped over the towering log to reach the brink of the forest. Once he stepped foot out of his shelter, the harsh rays of the sun blinded him, making him squint. The fact that there were no clouds in the sky didn't help his predicament. Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he made his way back to Lucy's house, which was a lone building in the middle of a grassy field. However, there was something odd leading to it.

There was some sort of black dirt paving the way to the front of her restaurant. It could have been gravel, but Natsu has never in his life seen rocks that have been one consistent color of black. There were also these bright yellow lines on the edges. He had never seen a paint color so vibrant before. Back home, Reedus, the local artisan, painted using various colors, but none of them comparing to the vividness of the color he was seeing here.

What was this place?

* * *

It was around one in the afternoon when Lucy decided to take her lunch break. Luckily there wasn't a big rush today, so that would give Yukino less trouble. She asked Yukino if she wanted her to help out more, but Yukino just smiled and said that she had her work under control. Lucy would have asked again, just to be supportive, but she knew more than to doubt Yukino's skill.

Lucy made two bowls of vegetable soba noodles, considering that if Natsu was resting or still in the house, he would be hungry. She put them on a nice apple wood tray and brought it to the back of the restaurant. Lucy made her way through the corridors and to her room, softly knocking on the door. "Natsu?" She called. When she didn't hear an answer, she pushed open the door, thinking he was asleep. However, when she peered into the room, she saw that Natsu was nowhere to be found. She set the tray of food on her desk and skimmed her house, wondering if he was just wandering around. However, her search drew close when she saw that his presence was not there anymore. She felt a cool autumn breeze slip through the room, the cause being the opened window.

To say Lucy was disappointed was an understatement. She knew that he needed to leave at some point, but she wanted him to fully rest before he went on his way. But what did she expect? He probably had family out there that was worried about him, and what right did she have to keep him from them? It was true, she really enjoyed his company, and found his way of acting and speaking fascinating, but she knew that he wasn't supposed to stay here. She kind of just wished that he would have said good bye.

 _But..._ she thought, going down the hall towards the laundry room. _...his shirt is still here. He isn't really walking around the street without a shirt off, is he?_ Lucy thought, a little perplexed at the thought. She didn't know what she was supposed to do with his shirt. Should she keep it? Would that be creepy? Lucy just shrugged.

Lucy returned to the room before her soba got cold. However, upon her arrival in her room, she was met by a slurping sound. Sitting on the floor with crisscrossed legs was Natsu Dragneel. His bare chest was shiny with sweat and his hair and forehead were wet, signifying that he had been exercising. He had two wooden chopsticks in his hand as he ate his meal in a mannerly, almost reserved, way.

"Natsu?" She asked, gaining his attention. Natsu immediately put the bowl down and bowed his head.

"Milady, I am sorry if I have eaten your food. I also deeply apologize for taking your sword without permission." He said, his tone full of remorse as he held the sword out to her. Lucy shook her head, took the sword from him, and set it above her desk once again. She then took the other bowl of soba noodles and sat down next to him.

"Natsu, I made this for you. And don't worry about my sword, because I barely noticed it was gone. Besides, I can now sit here and enjoy my break with you." Lucy said as she ate some of her noodles as well.

"Break?" Natsu asked. He hadn't heard a term like that before.

"Yeah, you know. When you rest a little bit from work so you can eat and do other things?" She stated. How did he not know what a break was? Natsu still looked confused, but nodded his head anyway. He then went back to eating his noodles. Lucy opened her mouth, about to ask him where he was and why he looked so worn out, but she figured that it was his business and she shouldn't pry into his life. She ate her noodles along with him. They shared a silence that was in between comfortable and awkward. Lucy knew that it was probably more awkward for her than Natsu, considering that he was oblivious to her (sort of) staring. When he finally looked up, she averted her eyes.

"...Lady Lucy?" Natsu asked. Lucy then looked at him once again.

"I told you that you don't have to call me that." She sighed quietly to herself. "What's up?" She asked.

Natsu looked above him and saw the odd white ceiling. Had she painted every inch of the wood of her ceiling white?

"Natsu...is something wrong?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. You just asked me what was up, so I looked above me so I could answer your question." Natsu replied. Lucy raised an eyebrow, but then burst out laughing. Natsu's eyes widened at first, because he was foreign to that sort of laugh from a girl. Most girls in his village were told to swallow their laughs unless they were at home, while the men that he grew up with were definitely the rambunctious type. However, his eyes returned to normal and he let a small smile adorn his face. But once Lucy had finished her wave of laughter, his face quickly morphed back to a stoic one.

"No, Natsu. I mean what did you want to ask." Lucy said.

"Oh." Now he just felt stupid, but he was happy to make her smile and laugh. It was a charming sound. "I wanted to ask...why you were being so nice to me." Natsu said, but he mumbled the last part. Most people like him did not show that kind of weakness but as he said before, Lucy had a very disarming quality about her.

One thing that was a irked Lucy a little bit was when she couldn't hear people. She didn't know why, but it was something that really set her off. If it was someone she was familiar with, she would have snapped at them to 'speak up', but since Natsu was a new friend, she just replied with a, "Sorry, what?"

Natsu looked at her face this time, wanting to make himself heard. "I was wondering, milady, why are you being so nice to me?" He finally asked.

Lucy looked at him weirdly. "Why wouldn't I be? You're my friend, aren't you?" She asked.

"Yes, of course. But most people would just brush off people of my class." Natsu said.

"Your class? Natsu, there are no classes in society anymore. Well...that's not completely true, but we don't really have a hierarchical system anymore."

"There are no classes in this society? No lords and ladies?" Natsu asked, very confused.

"Not anymore. Where have you been living all of your life?" Lucy asked. She hoped that she didn't sound rude, because she didn't mean to, but it was a question that was prodding her mind for quite some time now.

"In my village, Magnolia." Natsu answered.

Lucy's eyes widened once she processed his words. Magnolia? That's where she lived! It is possible that there is another town called Magnolia or something, but not to her knowledge.

"Speaking of which, if you would not mind milady, I must get back home. Do you think you can point me in the direction I must go in. It would be truly helpful." Natsu asked, bowing his head.

"Um...Natsu?" Lucy asked, not really sure how to word her next sentence. "What...what year is it?" Lucy asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"I-I'm just wondering." Lucy replied quickly.

"Well, to my knowledge, it is the end of the year 1615." Natsu said.

Well...

Ahem...

That explained a lot.

The clothes, the mannerisms, and the way he acted reminded her of the lifestyle of the ancient Fiorians. But...how in the world did he jump 400 years into the future!? He didn't go through some Captain America thing, did he? _No._ Lucy thought. _The chance of that happening is very low._ But really, what other explanations were there.

"Is everything alright?" Natsu asked.

"Ah, yes, everything's fine. Hey, Natsu?" He hummed as he ate his noodles, showing that she had his attention. "Since I've taken you in, have there been any things that you've seen here that confuse you? Like...things you have never seen before?"

Natsu swallowed his last noodle and then carefully drank the broth. Afterwards, he set the bowl down. "Well, I have seen many different candles or lanterns hanging from your ceiling. However, they don't flicker like regular fire does. And your room is very strange as well. Oh, I hope that is of no offense." He said the last part quickly as he bowed his head. Lucy just told him it was okay and urged him to continue. "Also, when I was walking back from the forest, I had seen this pathway of pure onyx color with these odd yellow and white stripes on the side. I have never seen any of these things in my life." He said truthfully, running a hand through his pink hair.

Lucy's head started to spin. It couldn't be true, could it? There was no such thing as time travel, and to such a degree as four hundred years was unfathomable. But there was something about Natsu that told her that he wasn't trying to play a prank. He was just so genuine that she couldn't help but believe him.

Lucy stood up and took a deep breath. "Stand, Natsu." Natsu stood up immediately, just as she ordered.

Okay, that was pretty cool.

But, Lucy wasn't going to stand and order him around like some princess, so she invited him to sit on her bed next to her. She saw his reluctance at first, but then she reassured him that it was fine. "Natsu, I'm going to tell you something. Will you hear me out?" Natsu nodded politely. "You are not in your time. It's not the year 1615, it's 2015, four _hundred_ years in the future." Natsu looked at her weirdly, like he did not believe her, and she couldn't blame him. "Everything you see that is foreign to you are new innovations that have been created over those four hundred years. This bed that we are sitting on," she said as she touched the fabric of the bed cover. "is not like the one they had in Ancient Fiore."

Natsu's eyes widened. He knew that the world he was in was different than the one he used to live in. That explained all the things that he couldn't. Even though he had only known her for a short time, Lucy seemed like an honest person. In was in the warrior's code to not trust anyone unless proven trustworthy, but there was no way such a nice girl like Lucy could lead his mind astray.

"But then...what kind of witchcraft is this?" He asked quietly. Lucy looked up at him, but his eyes were focused on his hands.

"I'm not sure, and I can't explain it, but I'll figure out a way to get you home, okay? I promise." Lucy said as she touched his shoulder.

Natsu's lips were brought into a thin line. "Don't make promises you don't know you can keep, Lady Lucy." He said.

"Well, that's going to just make me try harder to keep it, now won't it?" Lucy asked as she grinned at him. He turned his head to face her, and even though his features remained stoic, she knew that she saw hope in his eyes. "Now, I have to go work now, but I'll be back as soon as I can, alright. You can take my sword again and...do whatever you were doing before to keep yourself occupied." Lucy said as she got off the bed and straightened the cover. She then made her way to the door, but before she left, she turned to face him. "Don't worry Natsu, I'll find a way to get you back to your family." And then she was gone.

Natsu just sat there, staring at the door. He would be more than happy to return to his family, but why was the thought of leaving her hurting so much?

* * *

A dark figure ran through the forest at night, a wound on his side and a busted lip. His dark hair was drenched with sweat from the battle he had just fought. The warriors had managed to drive back the enemy for another day, and there were only a few casualties, and none of them dead.

Or at least, that's what they thought.

The man's name was Gray Fullbuster. He was the first to notice that his pink-haired comrade was missing. He refused to believe that he was dead, so he took off in the woods in the direction that their master had sent him in. It didn't matter that he was wounded, his friends mattered more to him than that. It was true that he and Natsu got down each other's throats now and again (every day), but without him, he wouldn't have become the warrior he was that day. He owes everything to his rival.

His breathing became heavy as he sprinted past the trees, trying to locate any moving life. It would have been easier if Natsu had kept his hair his natural color. Before he heads off into battle, he covers his hair with mud for it to work like camouflage. The idea was recommended to him by one of the army's most prized tacticians, Natsu's own brother, Zeref.

Gray then saw something shiny reflecting the moonlight, and immediately went towards it, keeping one hand on his dagger. Once he was closer, he saw that it was a sword. However, he knew the intricate dragon designs anywhere. It was Natsu's sword.

Natsu had this little quirk about him that unless he had a sword with him, he wouldn't feel comfortable. He wouldn't show it, but he would tense up a little bit more. It didn't have to be his sword in particular, but just a sword in general. Natsu wouldn't have just carelessly dropped his sword. He was either captured or dead, but Gray refused to believe the latter.

He knew that he was starting to get dizzy from blood loss, so he decided to take the sword back to the base camp. He gripped the sword in one hand until his knuckles turned white. Natsu better be okay, or he was going to kick that pyro's ass.

Gray dreaded when he got back to camp. Zeref was going to go on a rampage.

 **Alright, so another chapter finished! Thank you all so much for supporting me and this story because it really means a lot. I was a little hesitant to post this story because before, I didn't know where it was going to go, but your nice feedback is keeping me going and I hope that I can make this interesting for all of you.**

 **I hope that everyone is having an absolutely awesome day wherever they are! See you guys next time! :D**


	4. Live Like Us

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

~Magnolia, Year 1615~

Gray limped out of the forest towards his village, still clutching his friend's sword in his hand. He was happy that his village was safe and sound, and that the enemy didn't touch it, but he was afraid of the destruction that was about to ensue once he gave his news.

He limped into the tactician's tent, only to find him surrounded by lots of other officials, including Master Makarov, Marshal Gildarts, and Captain Laxus, Makarov's grandson. His presence still seemed to be undetected, but he was listening closely.

"Any word from Gray or Natsu?" The black-haired Dragneel genius, otherwise known as Lord Spriggan, asked, unaware that the former was in the room with them.

"No Zeref, but do not worry. Your brother and Fullbuster are some of the best we have." Laxus said, crossing his arms. Zeref creased his brows in worry. If anything happened to his brother...he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He was the only family that Zeref had, and he couldn't lose him.

Gray decided that this was a good time to make himself noticed as he stumbled into the tent, holding his side.

"Gray?" Master Makarov said as Gray struggled to bow before them without showing any weakness.

"I have returned, Master." Gray said monotonously.

"I see. And Natsu?" Master asked. Gray just shook his head. Zeref's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, Gray?! Where is he!? He is not...he is not dead, is he?" Zeref started to hyperventilate. Gray just bowed his head lower as he held Natsu's sword up to Zeref. Zeref's eyes filled with tears as his shaky hand grabbed a hold of the sword, and by the texture of it, he knew it was Natsu's.

"NO!" Zeref cried out in agony as he fell to the ground, hugging Natsu's sword to him.

"Do not mistake me, Lord Spriggan, I do not believe that Natsu is dead. I would not have returned if I did not have his body." Gray said.

Zeref looked at Gray, his eyes filled with rage. He grabbed Gray by his shirt and hauled him up with him, and Gray made no attempt to protest.

"Then where the hell is he then!?" Zeref growled, his face right next to Gray's as he looked at him with made eyes. Zeref was then forced off by Laxus, and Gray dropped the the floor emotionless, before sitting back up and bowing again.

"Calm down, Zeref! I am sure your brother is fine!" Laxus said as he tried to contain the struggling tactician.

"NO! MY BROTHER IS OUT THERE! LET GO OF ME! I MUST FIND MY BROTHER!" Zeref said as he struggled against Laxus's hold. Laxus eventually had to force him to the ground with Makarov's and Gildarts's aid, and even then, he still struggled.

"You are no fighter Zeref, and you getting killed is not going to help neither us nor Natsu!" Master scolded. Zeref finally managed to calm down, but his breath was ragged and labored and he was still struggling. Makarov then turned to Gray. "Go to the medical tent Gray." He ordered. Gray stood up and bowed again before walking out of the tent obediently, hearing the shouts of the three officials trying to calm Zeref.

Despite getting his physical wounds fixed up, the pain in his chest kept him up all night.

* * *

~Magnolia, Present Day~

Lucy's Japanese Bistro was always closed on Sunday. She needed at least one day to herself and she knew that Yukino couldn't work all seven days. That's why Yukino also got Wednesday off, even though Lucy still paid her the same as when she was not pregnant. The day before had been eventful, to say the least. Finding out that there was a man that came from the past and had no idea how to get back was stressful on the brain, Lucy could tell you that.

Natsu had spent the night with her at her house, considering he really didn't have anywhere else to go. Lucy gave him some of Sting's old clothes, which he said he felt very weird in because of the different style, and then offered him her bed, but he insisted that she slept on the bed of her own dwelling. When she woke up the next morning, she found him sitting with his back leaning against the side of her bed with crisscrossed legs and his eyes closed, like he was meditating. She then found out that it was how he usually slept. She also found out that he was quite a deep sleeper also, which he said was a quality that he had to fix.

Both Natsu and Lucy were walking through the forest now after they had eaten breakfast. Natsu had still seemed perplexed at being in a world that was the future of his own, but when he was in the forest, he just looked very serene. He was dressed in his newly washed warrior uniform from yesterday, saying that he felt most comfortable in those.

He _still_ had no idea what a dryer was.

Lucy had dressed herself in her most comfortable yukata, taking into consideration that Natsu looked most relaxed when she was wearing something that resembled what people wore back in his day, even though she would have to walk through a forest. Another thing that Lucy found odd was the fact that Natsu had almost begged her, stoically of course, to bring her sword with him. She had no objections, but she also found it very weird. Maybe he just liked her sword? But Natsu didn't seem like the type to give into childish desires such as wanting to hold something because he thought it was cool.

"So Natsu," Lucy said as she stepped over another branch, trying to make conversation. "what was your life like back in your time?" She asked.

Natsu, who was walking a little farther ahead of her stole a glance at her before looking forward again. "It was like most of the warrior's. A life of hardship and devotion." He said.

"I figured out that much, but do you have any family?" She asked, hoping that she wasn't getting too personal.

"My parents both died when I was one. I was left with my brother, Zeref, who was five at the time. He is still alive, but he is not a warrior like I am. He is our tactician." Natsu said, a stoic pride in his tone. Lucy smiled. It was nice to have a sibling that you could rely on. "What about you, milady?" Natsu asked. Lucy sighed. It looked like he wasn't going to stop calling her that any time soon.

"All of my family is still alive. My mother, father, and brother live in the capital. My father owns a huge company and my brother is working under him, and he'll take over the company one day." Lucy said.

"Why are you not living with them, if you do not mid me asking." Natsu asked as he slowed down his pace to walk side-by-side with her.

"Well, I just felt like it wasn't really the place for me. My father adopted Sting because he wanted a male heir, but he still wanted me to go into business. When I told him that I wanted to do something else, he was disappointed, but he let me go." Lucy said as she shrugged.

"So this Sting...is not your true brother?" Natsu asked.

"No, but I feel like he is. My mother and father adopted him when I was three, so he's practically been with me my whole life." Natsu nodded, not saying any more. He liked knowing more about Lucy, it made him more comfortable around her. Even with her bright and caring personality, he was not a very trusting person.

"So, why did you ask to carry my sword?" Lucy asked.

"It makes me feel at ease to have a weapon with me." He said simply. Lucy groaned.

"Natsu, can you please share your emotions with me!" She whined. He glanced sideways at her, and then a very small smiled graced his face. Lucy noticed this and grinned widely. "Thank you!" His smile immediately morphed into his stoic face again. Lucy puffed out her cheeks and nudged his shoulder, alarming him. She saw him tense up and laugh. "Natsu, it's okay. Nudging someone is a friendly gesture." Lucy said through her giggles.

Natsu looked confused and then nudged her back, but accidentally put too much force into it and made her fall down on her butt with a slight 'oof'. Natsu's eyes widened as he immediately rushed to her side, checking for any injuries. When he hadn't expected her to reprimand him, but he had expected her to be mad at him to some extent. He just saw laughing hysterically. At first, he panicked because he thought she was crying, but now she was struggling to breathe because she laughed so much. "Many apologies, milady. I did not mean to put that much force into my push." Natsu said as he bowed his head in shame.

Lucy stopped laughing and ruffled the hair on his lowered head. "It's fine Natsu. That was actually really funny." She said as she stood up and brushed some leaves off of her bottom. She then held a hand out to him. "Are you going to sit there on the floor all day, Natsu?" She asked. Natsu just shook his head and accepted her hand as she pulled him up. Upon letting go of his hand, Natsu found that her warmth still resided on his hand, making it feel tingly and odd. He also found that it wasn't a feeling he particularly disliked.

Natsu led her through the forest to the place that he thought he came from. Natsu and Lucy thought that they might be able to find some clues as to how Natsu got here in the first place. As they crossed the stream, Natsu couldn't help but steal another glance at his blonde companion who was focusing on balancing on the log. He liked how her perfectly shaped brows scrunched up when she was concentrating. He didn't know why, but it made her look more human. Back home, all the girls were trained to be prim and proper when in the presence of someone else, with the exception of a few, but Natsu knew for a fact that they were struggling to keep themselves that way. Natsu was kind of relieved that this age, or Lucy at least, wasn't like that.

"You know, milady," Natsu started. Lucy was surprised, this was his first attempt to initiate a conversation. "you remind me a lot of my friend. She is just not nearly as kind as you are."

Lucy blushed at the compliment. "Who is this friend of yours?" She asked.

"Her name is Erza Scarlet, the first female warrior in Fiore." Natsu said.

"How am I like her?" Lucy asked, a little proud that she could be compared to such a legend.

"She is not afraid to be who she really is, just like you."

"I see." Lucy trailed off, looking at the top of his head. Natsu noticed this and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"No, it's just...your hair, it's really nice."

Natsu unconsciously ran his hand through his pink locks. "It is a curse when I am on the battlefield. I have to put mud in it for camouflage." He said, a little irritated.

Lucy giggled. "I think it makes you a unique individual." Lucy said. That was the last thing that was said for a while.

They arrived at the place that Natsu believed he started from. It was a huge boulder in the middle of a small circle that had trees surrounding it. Lucy examined the rock, looking around it and knocking on it a few times. "I don't know. There doesn't seem to be anything here."

Natsu's eyes were closed and he seemed to be concentrating hard. He then opened his eyes and stared at the boulder. "I do not sense any odd aura from it, other than the insects living in it." Lucy immediately back away from the rock.

"Aura?" Lucy asked as she tilted her head.

"The warriors in my village are trained to sense aura in all things, if there was something odd about this rock, I would know." Natsu said as he narrowed his eyes at it.

"Well now what are we supposed to do?" Lucy asked as Natsu shrugged. "I guess...you're stuck here until we find an alternative." Lucy said and Natsu nodded. He looked troubled, but Lucy could tell that he was trying very hard not to show it. "I know you're troubled by this Natsu, but is something on your mind?" Lucy asked.

"I am just wondering about how my brother is doing. He is insanely protective of me as I am of him." He said.

* * *

"LET ME GO! I'M COMING NATSU!" Zeref cried from under ten of the highest ranking warriors

* * *

"He'll be fine. Don't worry, he'll see you soon." Lucy stated. Natsu looked at her.

"Do you have experience with time travel?" Natsu asked, and Lucy could detect the _tiniest_ bit of amusement in his tone.

"Well...no. But! I'll find a way!" She said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Anyway, the issue right now is to make you blend in with the crowd. Your color of hair is enough of an eye catcher, but I don't think people will be very casual around someone who is carrying a sword."

"People do not carry swords around? What happens if an enemy attacks?" Natsu asked.

"Barely anyone attacks anyone unless you go to the wrong side of town." Lucy said.

"This world is confusing. There are different sides to a town?" Natsu asked.

Lucy just sighed as she grabbed his hand pulling him back the way we came. "Don't worry Natsu. I'm going to help you live like us." She said.

 **Hey guys! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry I'm sorry that I haven't updated lately but I've just been so busy.**

 **Anyway, now you guys probably have a good picture of Natsu and Lucy's personalities so I think that is good for the exposition. Do you guys like how I've written them or is there something that I need to work on? (And don't worry, there's going to be character development.)**

 **Once again, I hope that everyone has a fantastic day wherever they are. See you in the New Year~!**


	5. Payment

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.  
**

If Natsu had to describe what he was feeling in one word, uncomfortable would seem to be the perfect fit.

It was after lunch time that Lucy told Natsu to wait in her room while she picked up some stuff. Natsu did so obediently, taking some time to meditate. Meditation helped him think abut a lot of things, and that was helpful since he didn't exactly like the fact that he was alone.

Lucy came back, what Natsu estimated, two hours later (He has no idea what a digital alarm clock was), carrying two bags of some shiny white material with the words 'American Eagle Outfitters' on one and 'Magnolian Magnificence' on the other. He looked at her questioningly, wondering what they were for.

Lucy had spent those two hours in town buying Natsu new clothes, and since she didn't know what size he was, it was pretty hard for her. However, he looked about the same size as her brother, even though he was about the same age as her, as she found out, so she had a pretty good idea of where to look. She shopped at two of her favorite stores, one being a branch from America and one being native to her town. She knew Natsu probably wouldn't wear skinny jeans ( _she_ even didn't really like skinny jeans), so she bought him some loose jeans and a couple pairs of sweat pants. She also bought him about four flannel shirts, a cotton t-shirt, and a denim sweatshirt. She also bought some boxers because he probably needs them.

Now the problem was getting the clothes on him. Getting the shirt on him was going to be no problem, considering she had seen him without a shirt before. But, the pants are probably going to be a little difficult, considering she would feel very uncomfortable telling him to take those off and she doesn't know if anything is under there...

"Lady Lucy, what might those be?" Natsu asked. Lucy looked at him and smiled.

"These are clothes for you. I told you, you can't be walking around in the clothes you are wearing now." She said as she pointed at his baggy warrior pants and traditional shirt.

"Will I have to wear that?" He asked. She could detect a little fear in his voice as he pointed at her skirt, which only came to mid-thigh.

Lucy just laughed. "No, no. These," she said as she flared her skirt a bit. "are only for girls. I bought you guy clothing." She said as she held up her bags.

"Well...what does that look like?" Natsu asked.

"I'll show you after you've taken a bath. I'm sorry that I didn't give you one yesterday."

Natsu just shook his head. "It is alright, there have been many times where I have survived without a bath for more than one day." He said. "But please, allow me to boil the water." He offered.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Boil the water?"

"For the bath. Unless for some reason you want me to take a cold bath." He said, hoping he didn't offend her by saying that he would boil the water. Who knows? Maybe the people of this time take cold baths.

Lucy sighed as she face palmed. "Natsu, just wait here." She said as she went out of the room to fill her porcelain tub with hot water. She waited until her tub was filled half way before turning the water off, sticking her hand in to check the temperature. "Natsu? Can you come in here please?" Natsu came obediently into the bathroom. He looked strangely at the white area, never having seen anything so shiny filled with water. "See, the water is already hot." She said as she motioned him to come over. Natsu did so, and stuck his hand in the water, surprised to find it a wonderfully hot temperature.

"H-how did you do that without boiling the water? And in such a short amount of time." Natsu muttered the last part to himself, unable to fathom the idea of water heating up so quickly. Then realization seemed to dawn on him as he snapped his fingers and turned to her. "I see now. This is a hot spring, is it not? That is how you get hot water so fast!" He said, looking proud. "Does everyone have a hot spring in this day and age?" Natsu asked.

Lucy just broke into full-blown laughter. "Trust me Natsu...I really wish that was true." She said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "No, there is something called plumbing. Its hooked up to a water heater that immediately heats the water if you turn this tap on." She pointed out as she turned the handle that was to the left of the stainless steel faucet. Water immediately began gushing out, also releasing a little bit of steam.

The look on Natsu's face was absolutely adorable. It was a look she had never seen on him, since he usually concealed his emotions. But it's hard to conceal the look you have when you think you've just seen a miracle. Lucy almost wanted to pinch his cheeks, but refrained because that would be _very_ awkward.

"W-what happens if you turn the right one?" Natsu asked, stuttering a little. Lucy turned the handle and the water immediately stopped. She then reached over and turned the right handle and another stream of water came pouring out.

"Here, come feel it." Lucy said. Natsu stuck his hand under the running water this time, and almost flinched at how cold it was compared to the other handle. He would have if he didn't already have experience with the cold. "So right handle turns on cold and left handle turns on hot, you can also mix the two if you just want a warm temperature.

Natsu was confused beyond belief. Where did the water come from? The well? And how could it travel so quickly!?

Lucy waved a hand in front of Natsu's face. "Are you okay?" Lucy asked.

"Huh?" Natsu asked, snapping out of his trance. He cursed inwardly, scolding himself for getting caught off guard. "Oh yes, I am fine." Lucy nodded, but she didn't really look convinced. She knew that he was trying to get used to her lifestyle.

"Now we should probably give you a hair wash too, since you came from a battle before this, right?" Lucy asked. "Okay, I think I might have to help you with that..." Lucy trailed off with a blush, trying to think of an alternative. Even Natsu got why she was flustered and pink dusted his cheeks as well.

"I-it's alright. I think I can manage on my own." Natsu said as he tried to alleviate her blush, or at least try to make her job easier for her.

"No, no, it's fine. I don't want you getting any shampoo in your eyes." She reasoned. _Shampoo?_ Natsu thought, having never heard the word. Lucy then snapped her fingers. "Oh! I know!" She said as she went over to some cabinet with a mirror on it and took out a bottle of lavender gel. "These are bubbles. If you get into the tub with this, I can help you take a bath."

Natsu looked at the bottle strangely. "They do not look like bubbles to me." Natsu stated.

"That's because you have to put them in the water first." She said as she went over to the tub and sat on the edge again. She poured some of the gel into the tub and ran the water a little bit. Before Natsu's eyes white foam bubbles started to form. They were hardly see through, so Lucy could help him with his bath without seeing...yeah. "Alright, I'm going to go out so you can get undressed. Once you're in the tub, you can call me in." She said with a smile as she went out of the room.

Natsu looked around, confused for a second before doing as Lucy ordered, first untying the sash at his waist that made the shirt open and revealed his toned abs. He then slid the rest of his shirt off before untying the cloth waist belt, where his sword used to be, and pulling down his pants and underwear. He then hopped into the tub, his muscles soothing when they hit the hot water. The bubbles smelt really nice, and he identified it as the way Lucy smelt, like lavender and strawberries.

Natsu couldn't help but sink deeper into the tub. He hadn't had a bath this nice in his life. He wondered if people in this day bathed like this every day, or if Lucy was just being generous and giving him all of her resources so he could have one good bath. What if she couldn't take a bath now because he is using too much of her so called 'plumbing'!? What if-

He then heard a knock at the door that interrupted his thoughts. "Natsu, are you in the bath yet?" Lucy's sweet voice asked from the other side of the door. Natsu immediately sat up in the tub, embarrassed for not calling her immediately when he got in.

"U-um, yes. You may come in now." He said softly as she opened the door. She wasn't dressed in that short 'skirt' anymore, but in a pair of pants that fit her legs very well. They were made of some kind of blue material. She was also carrying what looked like some clothes, which were probably for him. She set them on the polished granite counter beside the sink and went over to him.

"Here, I'll help you wash your hair." She said as she grabbed a cylindrical bottle. It was the bottle of shampoo that her brother used when he was over, and his hair looked like Natsu's so it should work out. "Okay Natsu, this," she said, holding up the bottle. "is shampoo. You use it to wash your hair." She explained. Natsu just nodded, wondering what was in the bottle. "You basically squirt the shampoo into your hand and massage your scalp with it. Sound easy enough?" She asked.

"I guess so." Natsu replied.

"So, do you want to do it yourself, or would you like me to do it?" Lucy asked.

"U-uh. If it would not be too much trouble, would you mind doing it?" Natsu asked, a little unsure. Lucy smiled.

"Of course I wouldn't mind." She said as she propped herself on the edge of the tub, careful not to fall in. She squirted some shampoo into Natsu's hair and began to massage his head with it, making sure not to be too rough. She remembers giving her brother baths when he was two, so she had a little experience.

Natsu would have been telling a huge lie if he said her hands on his scalp didn't feel good. She was applying just the right amount of pressure on the right places while massaging his scalp that he couldn't help but sink just a little bit back into her hands, while still keeping a neutral face to make her think that nothing had changed.

"Is this okay?" She asked. Natsu just nodded, not saying anything else. "While I'm doing this, you can wash your body. There's soap over there." She said as she pointed to the other side of the tub. Natsu hesitantly grabbed the little blue bar of soap with his calloused hands, and it immediately started to slip. Natsu's fast reflexes were able to catch it again, but it also kept slipping from him, so he was basically doing hot potato for a few seconds. Lucy just laughed at the sight. Natsu looked so frustrated that it was funny.

"This...'soap' is very slippery." Natsu concluded, but he was unsure if he was trying to tell Lucy or just talking to himself. Lucy just hummed behind him as she continued to wash his salmon hair.

"Rub the soap along your body, then wash it off with water." She said, and Natsu did so. He ran it along his chest and arms and legs, already smelling the sweet scent that was coming from it. It left a white-ish tail along his body before it disappeared when he poured water on it.

Seriously, what was this stuff?

When he was done soaping himself, he took time to examine the bar in his flat palm. He looked at it from all angles, careful not to grab it for it would slip out of his hands. Lucy looked at him and smiled, finishing up with shampooing and conditioning his hair.

"Okay, I'm done." She said as she removed her hands from his head, and she could have sworn that she heard a small whine escape from him. She turned back to look at him, only to find him facing forward, not looking at her, with an even more stoic face than before, but with a little pink dusted over his cheeks. She raised an eyebrow as she washed her hands to remove any excess shampoo. She then dried her hands and went back over to Natsu. "Now I have to wash the shampoo out of your hair, so close your eyes really tight so none of it gets in your eyes, alright?" She asked. Natsu nodded and did what she asked. "Also, tilt your head up a little bit." She said, and Natsu did so.

She then proceeded to wash his hair, getting out all the shampoo and soap. She was so focused in her work that she didn't realize that there were so few bubbles then, but there were just enough to cover his private parts. He enjoyed the feeling of water pressure on his head, but it wasn't nearly as good as when Lucy massaged his head.

Lucy finished off her work and stood up and stretched, letting her muscles pop. "Alright, I'm done now. I'll get out of the room so you can get changed. To dry all the water off, you use this," she said, pointing to a towel. "and for your clothes, these," she held up a pair of boxers. "are what go on your legs first, then these pants. _This_ is your shirt, and because it's autumn and I thought you'd be a little cold, so I bought you a sweatshirt." She finished, holding up all the clothing items. "Once your done changing, call me in again so we can dry your hair." She ordered. Natsu was just trying to process all of the information. He had never heard of 'boxers' or 'sweatshirts' before, but he hastily followed her instructions, anyway. When he got out of the tub, he noticed a few bubbles still remained on his skin, but he also found that they came off easily with the towel. He dried his body and put his clothes on, becoming a little confused when it came to the sweatshirt, and he ended up putting it on the wrong way.

"Miss Lucy, you may come in now." He said in a soft voice. Lucy entered in not a second layer. She took one look at him and laughed as he fiddled with the hoodie on his sweatshirt, which looked like it was choking him.

"Natsu, you're wearing your sweatshirt the wrong way." Lucy giggled as she helped him take it off.

"Well how was I supposed to know?" Natsu asked, pouting a little.

"You weren't, I'm not blaming you for not knowing. You have a lot to learn about this world." She said as she fixed his sweatshirt. "Starting with the fact that you have to stop using honorifics with me." She said as she gave him a pointed look.

"I am sorry, it is a habit from my village." He said. "Everyone uses honorifics with each other, even more so for the warriors." Natsu stated.

"I understand that, Natsu. However, not everyone does. You'll find, in modern-day society, that people are moving away from the old traditions." She said as she crossed her arms. He detected another emotion in her tone, and it told him that she wanted the traditions to still be there. He respected her for that.

"Miss Lucy, if I may ask, if you could go back in time to where I am from, would you live in that society?" Natsu asked. Lucy scratched her chin and looked up into space before looking him in the eye.

"I can't say that I completely dislike living here, because I think society has advanced for the better, but I feel like living in the past is more pure...you know what I'm saying?" Lucy asked.

"I do believe so. I am not too sure." Natsu answered truthfully.

"Oh well, that's alright." Lucy said as she walked passed him and drained the water from the tub. Natsu immediately rushed to her side, looking down at the disappearing water.

"Is the water going back to the well?" Natsu asked. Lucy smiled.

"Not well, Natsu. Pipes." Lucy said as she made her way out of the bathroom. "Would you like to eat a snack?" She asked.

Natsu appeared in the doorway. "Only if you want me to have one." He said stoically as he picked up her sword once again.

Lucy sighed exasperatedly, but went to get Natsu a snack anyway. However, before she left her room, her cell phone rang on her desk. It was a very loud ring tone with her favorite song from her favorite rock band, which alerted her that it was her brother that was calling.

However, it seems that Natsu got a bit _too_ alerted.

In a move to protect Lucy from what he thought was an enemy, he tackled her to the ground and held against his chest protectively as he unsheathed the sword. "Stay with me, Miss Lucy. That sound may be coming from an enemy. Do not worry, I shall protect you." He said as he looked around the room defensively and gripped the sword.

Lucy just rolled her eyes at his antics, already used to them. She got out of his grip and patted his cheek, before going to get her phone, despite his protests.

"Hello?" She said into the device. Natsu was looking at her curiously.

 _"Hey baby sis, your gorgeous brother has graced you with his voice."_ A deep voice said teasingly from the other side.

"Haha, very funny." Lucy deadpanned. "And I'm older than you." She stated. Natsu looked at her as if she had gone crazy for talking to herself.

 _"Yes, but if you recall, I'm a good four inches taller than you, which_ makes _me look older."_ Sting said smugly.

"Looks don't matter, stupid." Lucy said as she sighed. "So what do you want?" Lucy asked.

 _"How rude. I just wanted to tell you that mom and I will be visiting tomorrow."_ Sting said. Lucy immediately shot her head up to look at Natsu, her eyes wide.

"O-oh, u-um..." She trailed off, trying to find an excuse to convince them to not come, or at least say _something_.

"Miss Lucy, is something wrong?" Natsu asked, and he was loud enough for Sting to hear him.

 _"Lucy, is there someone there!? It better not be a boy!"_ He screamed through the phone, making Lucy hold it away from her ear. She then put her finger to her lips, preventing Natsu from talking.

"U-um, yeah. It's just my friend, Sting. A-anyway, see you tomorrow. Love you, bye!" She said quickly.

 _"W-whoa! Wai-"_ But he was already cut off. Lucy threw her phone on her bed and banged her head against her desk. She could just feel the malevolent vibes of her brother from the other line when he heard that there was another man in the house, and now he was going to visit, and Natsu had nowhere else to go.

"Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad..." Lucy trailed off as she paced around the room. Natsu just waited for his answer patiently on the floor. When he concluded that he wasn't going to get one, he asked again.

"Milady?" He asked once again, finally getting her attention to be focused on him. "Are you alright? You seemed to be very angry when you were talking to yourself." He said innocently.

There was something about that sentence that somehow pissed her off, but she didn't want to take her anger out on him. She was just stressed from her predicament, and she knew that Natsu's intentions were nothing but altruistic. Lucy sat next to him on the floor, burying her face in her hands.

"My brother is coming to visit." She said. Natsu just shot her a curious glance.

"Is that a bad thing?" Natsu asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I love my brother very much. But...it's just that he's very protective of me and he doesn't like when I'm around other men he doesn't know." She explained.

"If it is too much trouble for you, I would not mind going away until your brother has finished his trip." He immediately offered.

"No Natsu. You have nowhere to go and I can't let you out into society just yet. There are lots of rules because of the new innovations that you don't know about. Don't worry, you can stay here." She assured. Natsu still looked unsure. She took him by the arm and helped him up. He got up obediently, and while doing so, he found a nifty little loop in his pants to store his sword. "Come, let's get you that snack." She said as she led him into the kitchen.

"If you do not mind me asking milady, how did you receive word that your brother is coming? I only saw you hold a thing piece of metal to the side of your face." Natsu asked.

Lucy sighed. "That's a story for another day." Lucy said. She would probably have to spend one full day trying to teach him how the phone worked. Natsu seemed to accept the answer, or at least she thought he did. For all she knew, he could be killing himself inside because he wanted to know, but he just wasn't showing it.

Natsu stared down at the smaller girl as she led him into the kitchen, her blonde hair bouncing as she walked. He caught on to her scent, which undoubtedly he smelt like too since he used her 'shampoo'. He couldn't help but want to be around this girl, because her charming personality was very attractive. He would never voice that though. He knew the consequences of being blunt. *cough* Erza *cough*

They entered the kitchen and Lucy took out some leafy greens and other materials from a giant metal box with a door. He was standing right behind her, so he felt the cold air that the box let out and almost shivered. He then turned his attention to the ceiling, where he saw a thin stripe of white light.

"Miss Lucy?" He asked, and she hummed to tell him that she was listening. "What kind of lanterns are those? Are those the shape of the lanterns in this age?" He asked. Lucy looked up at her ceiling light and sighed.

"Those aren't lanterns, Natsu." Lucy said as she walked over to the part of the room where the switches were.

"Candles then?" He asked. She then turned off the lights and Natsu was immediately on guard, grabbing a hold of the hilt of her, now his, sword. She immediately turned the lights back on and looked at Natsu's wary face.

"You're always on guard, aren't you?" She asked.

Natsu relaxed his muscles. "It is a reflex that a warrior must have." He said simply. "How did you extinguish the lights so fast?" He asked.

"They aren't made of fire, they're made of electricity." She said.

"What is this electricity you speak of?" He asked with a hand on his chin.

"Electricity is the flow of electric charge that can be powered by nuclear energy, wind, water, and other things. It's a hard concept, but it's made our lives a whole lot easier." She said as she started to chop some celery.

"So there is no need to light a candle, and all you have to do is flip...that?" He asked pointing to the switch.

"That's called a switch, and yes, that's all you have to do." She said as she set his salad in front of him on the island counter. "Here you go, you can eat now."

"My thanks, Miss Lucy." Natsu said as he bowed.

"Okay, let's clear this up, since my brother is coming over, you can't use honorifics with me." She said as she leaned on the counter and looked at him.

"I do not see any other alternative. Many of the women of my society were highly respected." He stated.

"I understand that, and I'm grateful for your respect, but nobody uses that kind of language nowadays." She said. "We should also probably work on your contractions." She mumbled afterward.

"Also, if it _is_ too much trouble. You know I can always stay in the forest until he comes." He said.

"Please, Natsu, there's really no need to do that." Lucy insisted as she waved her hands in front of her face.

"That does not change the fact that you are letting me live here without payment. There has to be something I can do for you." Natsu said as he knelt down and bowed his head.

Lucy thought about it. She didn't want Natsu as a personal servant, even though he did look like he was willing to be one. It was true that she wasn't asking anything of him, but it's not like he has anywhere to go, and she doesn't mind his company. Then, an idea struck her.

"Alright then." She said, and Natsu finally looked up. "If you want to live here, then you have to work for it." She concluded. She then knelt down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I guess you'll just have to become a chef in my restaurant."

 **Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! For the longest time FanFiction wasn't letting me read your beautiful reviews (I'm saying beautiful in the sense that anything that anyone has to say is heard and thought about), but it is finally working and I read them, and I'm so happy that you guys are supporting me so thank you so much!**

 **I _did,_ however, get a review on _With a Little Love_ which told me that it would be better if I rewrote it. I want to, but I can't because I lost the document for it, and I just don't have the time to rewrite the whole thing. And I agree that it needs a lot work, but alas, I am not perfect. They also thought that English wasn't my first language because of how the story was written (which I take absolutely _no_ offense to), but I thought I'd let you guys know that English _is_ my native language because I live in America, and even though it's technically not my first language, it is my primary one, so I'm sorry if I stirred confusion because my English sucks or something. :( And also, a big thank you to whoever left that review! :)  
**

 **But I do hope you all have a wonderful day! See you guys next time! :)  
**


	6. Family

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Lucy had spent the majority of her free day trying to get Natsu acquainted with the customs of cooking. Lucy had never open up her kitchen to anyone except Yukino, and she only gives the job to people she trusts. She does trust Natsu, but she feels like this is mostly an exercise to get a bit of a feel of how to work a job that isn't protecting people. Because Natsu didn't know how to work a stove, she decided that she and Yukino should probably handle the ramen and other things, while Natsu took care of the sashimi considering that sashimi was just finely cut meat or seafood and Natsu was good at the sword, so it correlates.

She also needed another hand in the kitchen. Yukino couldn't overwork herself now and she was going to go on maternity leave soon, so she'll really need Natsu's help.

Lucy had instructed Natsu on how to cut the sashimi. He was confused at first, looking at the knife like it was an alien, but agreed and started to follow her lead. He wanted to learn how to repay her for her kindness, after all. Lucy had left for about two minutes, carrying a fresh pack of seaweed and laying it on the counter. When she came to check Natsu's work, she was utterly amazed at the progress he had made. The crab she had given him was so finely cut that she almost couldn't believe that it was done by a human. His skill at cutting was, admittedly, better than hers. She was a little jealous, considering the hours she had to pour into practicing the art of cutting, but she shook the feeling off, remembering how much Natsu trained with a sword, so a knife was just a smaller version of that.

"Hey Natsu?" She asked while she was supervising his cutting. He hummed in response. "What did people eat back in old Fiore?"

Natsu stopped his cutting for a moment, then got back to work once he had his answer. "Rice, beans, chicken, potatoes, cheese, _fish._ " He said, putting a little more emphasis on the last word.

"Fish?" Lucy asked.

"My cat. He loves fish." He said. "I eat it too, but it is for the protein and not for enjoyment."

"You have a cat?" Lucy cooed as she immediately straightened up.

"Yes. His name is Happy. He is blue. He also works as our border guard, like a watch dog." He said bluntly. Lucy decided not to question it, considering that this was old Fiore where they probably breeded pets for warrior-like purposes. But _Blue?_ That's something she's never heard of. She just decided to let the conversation fade away then. It wasn't like Natsu was too much of a talker anyway.

Once she had finished teaching him the basics, they cleaned up the kitchen and went back into the house. Lucy decided that it would be a good time to teach Natsu a few things about language. They both sat down on her floor cross-legged across from each other. Natsu was still trying to become comfortable while wearing these so called 'jeans', but they weren't completely terrible.

"Okay Natsu. Instead of saying cannot, say can't." She said.

"Can-can'at..." He trailed off, scrunching his nose in disgust of how the word sounded. Lucy almost wanted to laugh.

"No, no, no, _can't._ " She said with a little more emphasis.

" _Can't._ " He copied, almost perfectly. She gave him a thumbs up, which was the symbol that she gave to him when he did a good job.

"That's called a contraction, when you merge two words together and put an apostrophe to make the word shorter." She explained.

"You are very smart, Miss Lucy." Natsu stated. Lucy knew that it would be hard to break Natsu out of the habit of calling girls 'milady' or 'miss', but if someone noticed, she could just say it was because he worked under her.

"Not really, I only got the average grades in school." It was true. She had spent so much time cooking and less time studying that she had to end her senior year of Advanced Calculus with a B-. Her brother got grades that were even worse, but that was because he didn't try and he was mostly focused on either what dad was trying to teach him or the basketball games he watched on TV.

"School?" Natsu asked. Lucy looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't they have school in old Fiore?" She asked.

"They did, but only for the people who could afford it, which most people could not." He said.

"School in Fiore is free up through high school. But college is a little bitch to pay for." She muttered. Natsu's eyes widened by just a fraction when she cussed, not used to hearing words like that. The warriors back home could cuss in their heads as much as they wanted, but they were supposed to be as calm as possible on the battlefield or in training, so not many of them swore. The masters made an exception for his friend Gajeel, because there was no one who could contain his colorful language. "What?" Lucy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing." Natsu quickly dismissed.

Lucy's expression softened. "I hope that isn't your reaction to every cuss word that's said, because you'll have to walk with widened eyes the whole time in the city." Lucy said. Natsu just nodded. "Another thing. Like I said before, you can't keep carrying that sword around. People will probably think you're a threat." Lucy said as she motioned to the sword that was behind him. Natsu looked back at it, and then looked at her again.

"I am sorry, milady, but I do not feel at ease without it." He said. Lucy thought for a minute. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable, especially when he was in a modernistic environment where he would feel even _more_ uncomfortable. There has to be some way Natsu could carry her sword around without drawing any attention, but the sword was a only a little less than a meter long, so anything they did to try to hide it would draw suspicion. A sudden idea struck her, and she rushed out of the room without a word, leaving a very confused Natsu behind.

Lucy went to her living room and tore through one of the cupboards, trying to find the cheap gift that her brother gave to her when she was ten. He was seven, so she was happy he got her anything at all. Anyway, she rummaged through all the miscellaneous stuff that she didn't even know existed until she came across a small metal ovular-shaped object with a black handle with orange flames. Lucy took it back to her room.

When she placed it in front of Natsu, he was confused. How was a small object supposed to compare with a real sword? And without any sharpness whatsoever.

"Okay, Natsu. This is called a Swiss Army Knife. They have many different uses." She explained as she pulled the object into her hands. Natsu then watched as she flicked her wrist, and then a small knife came out, making his eyes widen. He examined the blade with a perked interest. The handle looked serrated so it would accommodate his fingers and the knife itself looked sturdy and sharp. Lucy handed it to him, and he took it by the hilt. The handle felt very thick, which he thought was a very odd design.

"Thank you, Miss Lucy. This makes me feel at ease." He said as he tried to figure out how to retract the blade.

"Natsu," Lucy said as she grabbed his hands. "the knife isn't the only feature of the knife." She said as she took the gadget out of his hand. Natsu studied her as she whipped the blade back into place, taking note of her actions so he could do the same when the time comes. She then turned the blade around a full one hundred eighty degrees and flicked her wrist again. This time, instead of a blade, a pair of scissors came out. Don't get him wrong, he had seen scissors before, they were in his time after all, but he didn't know how one diminutive object was able to have both a knife and scissors. "There are other features too, but I guess you could say that these are the most important ones." She explained. "Do you know what this is?" She asked, pointing to the scissors that were attached to the handle.

Natsu nodded. "We have something of that design where I am from also, called scissors. However, they are not as small nor as shiny as the ones that you hold in your hand." He replied.

New thing that Lucy learned: some of the modern things that they use now were used back in the olden days as well. She had absolutely _no_ idea that scissors were invented that long ago.

"I see." Was the only thing that she could say. She then handed the Swiss Army Knife back to Natsu, letting him play with it under her close supervision. Lucy smiled when she started to show more curiosity, making him look more like a child. It really differed from his fastidious-looking self. Natsu himself was never really fastidious by personality, because every little thing she did for him elicited many appreciated words, but as people say, appearances may be deceiving. It must have been hard on Natsu, learning that he was in a new world and having to learn all of modern society's customs must have been a huge shock, but Natsu was taking it better than she thought he would. However, she couldn't tell. He did hide most of his emotions, after all.

When night time came around, Lucy offered Natsu her bed, since he had been generous enough to sleep sitting upright on the floor the previous night, but Natsu replied by saying that it did not matter what time period it was, and that Lucy should be able to sleep in the comfort of her own bed. Lucy didn't really want to argue with him, considering how his voice was firm, signifying that the conversation was over. Lucy changed her clothes and showed Natsu the outfit he would be wearing that night -he looked very happy to get out of the jeans, so she deduced that they would take some getting used to- and hopped into bed, pulling the covers over her. She pulled her softest and warmest blanket over Natsu, not wanting him to be cold in the harsh winter, and then drifted off to sleep on the bed next to him.

* * *

Natsu woke up to someone prodding his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly, but had to squint because the room he was in was already bright with the morning rays. Once his eyes focused a bit more, they focused on Lucy's figure, who was bent down and smiling at him. He accidentally took his gaze off of her face, and realized that his face was very close to her exceptional cleavage. He looked away immediately, scolding himself for disrespecting a part of his friend's body. There was a biting sensation at the back of his mind, though. It was trying to tell him to look again, but he refrained from doing such a vulgar thing. He had never had this problem before. It only happened when Lucy was around.

She made him feel warm inside.

"Up and at 'em, sleepy head. You don't want to sleep through your first day of work, do ya?" She asked, breaking Natsu out of his thoughts. He was still a bit tired, and he really didn't like to be woken up, but he wouldn't have the guts to tell Lucy that. He then processed her words.

 _Ah, that is right. Lucy has given me work in exchange for getting to live with her._ His expression visibly softened, making Lucy raise an eyebrow. _She has such a kindred spirit._ He thought fondly.

"Hey Natsu, are you alright?" She asked. Natsu focused on her large, doe brown eyes again, almost getting lost in them, before he nodded. He helped himself up and brushed himself up. The clothes that Lucy had gave him were oddly comfortable, better than that weird blue material that she had made him wear yesterday.

"Is your brother visiting today?" He asked, and Lucy nodded.

"Yup, so remember what I taught you." She said as she placed her hand on his forearm. For some reason, he wished they had more contact like this. Natsu nodded, going over the things she called contractions and thinking about what he learned about making the sashimi that she talked about. "Alright, go take a bath." She said as she pointed to the bathroom. She was about to leave, but she saw Natsu standing in the exact same position, looking at her expectantly. "Do you want me to show you how to do it one more time?" She asked.

"That would be highly appreciated, yes." He replied. Lucy sighed, but then smiled, and motioned for him to follow her.

* * *

Yukino didn't even try to hide her surprise when she saw the pink-haired man from a couple of days ago in a red kimono with a white obi-belt in the kitchen. The man, whose name was Natsu, if she recalled correctly, was cutting up eel with the skill of a professional.

Natsu seemed to sense that she was there, and bowed to her wordlessly, before continuing on with his work. Yukino just nodded in return and went to find Lucy, who was carrying a fresh box of clams.

"Lucy?" Yukino asked. Lucy turned and smiled at Yukino.

"Good morning Yukino, ready to work?" Lucy asked.

"Ah, yes. But why is there a man working in your kitchen. You _never_ let anyone touch your stuff unless they are a chef here." It was true. Lucy was very protective of everything she had, and only shared it with Yukino because she trusted her so much.

"That's because Natsu is a new chef here." Lucy explained as she put the clams in the storage room.

"What!?" Yukino asked. "Really? It took me forever to gain your trust to work in our kitchen!" Yukino wasn't jealous, nowhere near so, but she was just utterly astonished.

"Well, Natsu needed a job, and he is skilled in cutting sashimi, so I let him work here." Lucy said nonchalantly.

"But didn't you just meet him a few days ago?" Yukino asked.

"Well, yes. But he is very trustworthy and helpful. Also, when you go on maternity leave in some weeks, I'm going to need another person around." Lucy explained. Yukino just nodded, understanding the situation. She was going to leave in five- maybe six- weeks, and it would be too hard on Lucy.

"I understand. I'm okay with going a few weeks with a little less pay." Yukino shrugged.

"Why would you be getting paid less?" Lucy asked.

"Well, how else are you supposed to pay Natsu his salary?" She asked, blinking.

Lucy froze. She didn't think that she would have to tell Yukino that Natsu would be living at her house now. But what else could she say? She could tell her that she wasn't paying Natsu, which was the truth, but that would make her seem cruel and unjust. But it wouldn't make sense that she was paying Natsu without cutting Yukino's pay a little.

"U-um...he-he's not getting paid..." Lucy trailed off.

"Huh? But doesn't he have to pay for groceries and his house?" Yukino asked.

"You see, Yuki. Natsu...he, uh, kinda, lives with me now...?" Her voice squeaked a little at the end, making her statement sound like a question. She cringed as she looked at Yukino's blank face, anticipating any reaction that she elicited.

"Lucy..." Yukino started. "is Natsu your boyfriend?" She asked innocently.

"W-Wha-!? No! No, no, no, no! He's just a friend that I'm letting live with me!" Lucy said as she frantically moved her hands in denial. Her face was beat red and Yukino could practically see the smoke coming out of her ears.

"I see..." Yukino said with a raised eyebrow. Deciding to end the discussion there and save Lucy from having a heat stroke, she entered the kitchen to start her work.

Natsu saw the silver-haired girl in a blue kimono enter the kitchen once more before preparing for work. If Natsu had to be completely honest, she looked a lot like Lisanna, his good friend and Captain Laxus's fiancee. However, this woman's eyes were a deep brown. Not a chocolate brown like Lucy's, but more like a tree-bark brown. She also looked very kind. His eyes traveled down a little to look at her swollen stomach. It seemed to be that this woman, Lucy's friend, was pregnant. And by the looks of it, she was in one of her last stages.

"Natsu, right?" She spoke, and Natsu snapped out of his trance to look into her eyes.

"Um...yes. That is my name." He replied.

"My name is Yukino. It is a pleasure to meet you." She said as she bowed slightly. Natsu bowed back on instinct.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Yukino." He replied. She smiled and returned to her work, turning a knob a couple of times until a fire came out of a little metal piece. Natsu had to force himself to look indifferent. This was all common technology to the society, so he would surely be found out if he were to make any wrong moves. He was very grateful for Lucy protecting him, but when she was not around, like now, he had to try to act as 'normal' as he could.

Lucy came in the door a few seconds later, tying her hair in a quick bun. "Hey Yukino, my mother and brother are visiting today. I'll try to do as many dishes as I can, but can you take a few more if I'm trying to take care of them?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it Lucy, I wouldn't mind taking a few extra dishes, especially if it is for a reason such as family." Yukino replied.

"Thanks, Yuki. You're really mature for your age." Lucy said as she patted her head.

"You're not that much older than me, you know." Yukino said as she puffed her cheeks.

"Three years is a lot." Lucy laughed as she made her way over to Natsu. As she looked at his work, her eyes sparkled with bliss. "Wow Natsu! These look absolutely perfect! Terrific job!" Natsu bowed, accepting the compliment. Lucy then snapped her fingers. "I'll go get the clams you're going to make." She said as she exited the kitchen.

"So Natsu, how long have you been cooking for?" Yukino asked.

"I have always been able to get by for myself, but I've never been in a kitchen like this." Natsu replied. The kitchens they had back in his time had walls made of stone and had a fire right in the middle with a hole in the roof hovering right over it. Warriors like him weren't allowed in there, but his good friend Levy always snuck him an extra bowl of rice, because since he was of a higher rank than most of the others, his training was much more rigorous.

Yukino looked shocked, which seemed to be a common thing for her today. "So you have no chef experience at all?" She asked as she looked at his cut eel. It looked like an absolute masterpiece. Natsu shook his head. Yukino smiled. "You must have some real talent. You've even gotten Lucy to compliment your work, and she's incredibly skilled in this area." Yukino turned to fully look at him. "I'm happy to have you working with us, Natsu." Yukino said.

"Likewise, Miss Yukino." Natsu said. Yukino took note of his formal way of speaking. Rogue sometimes spoke like that as well, but Natsu seemed to be versed in the tone. There weren't many people like that anymore. "Miss Yukino, my sincerest apologies if I am wrong, but are you with child?" Natsu asked.

Yukino laughed. "Why yes, I am. I'm five and a half months along now." She replied.

"Oh, well I wish you and the baby good health." He said, bowing once more.

"Thank you." Yukino said.

She could see why Lucy had taken a liking to this man.

* * *

It was around one o'clock when Lucy's family arrived, which was a huge inconvenience considering that it was rush hour at that time. However, her mother and brother sat patiently and decided to order something also. Well, Lucy's mother was patient, but the same could not be said for her brother.

Lucy was astounded by Natsu's work and the help he had given her. He took care of any raw seafood that had to be cut, and even some of the most challenging creatures were cut perfectly by him with just little direction, as if he had been doing it all of his life, which seemed to be the conception of Yukino.

Natsu was really enjoying his new job. Not only did Lucy give him a place to stay until he returned home, but she had also given him a job which sharpened his swordsmanship. He might have been using a knife, but it took his complete focus and dedication to make sure everything was perfect.

He didn't admit it, but he wanted to impress Lucy. And he seemed to have been doing a good job.

Lucy had taken a break about fifteen minutes later to go greet her family, and Natsu couldn't help but peak around the corner to look at them. They were at a table near a window, so they were easy to spot. He looked at her brother, and wondered if they really weren't related. Natsu couldn't see the man's eye color, but he looked so much like Lucy as if he was actually her brother. But Lucy's mother made Natsu's eyes widen. She almost looked exactly like Lucy, but just a slightly older version. If Lucy hadn't told him that she didn't have any other siblings except for her brother, he would have thought that they were twins.

"Amazing isn't it?" A voice asked from behind him. He turned to see Yukino coming up beside him. "There's barely a distinction between Lucy and her mother. Sting, her brother, looks a lot like her as well, because her father wanted a son, so he adopted one that looked similar to him." She then reached over and flicked him on the cheek. "Now get back to work, or Lucy's going to be ticked." She said.

Natsu wasn't exactly sure what _ticked_ meant, but he had a feeling that it wasn't good, so he followed the smaller girl's orders.

* * *

"Mama!" Lucy yelled as she ran up to her mother and hugged her. A few people in the restaurant turned their heads to look at them, before smiling and turning back to their meals.

Layla squeezed her daughter back. "Lucy, it's so great to see you." She said. Lucy released her from the hug and turned towards her brother.

"Hey Bumble Bee." She said as she hugged her brother, who rested his head on top of hers.

"I told you that I outgrew that name." He whined.

"Did you outgrow our handshake as well?" Lucy pouted as she pulled away a little.

Sting scoffed. "What do you take me for?" He asked as he held out his hand as if going for a handshake. Lucy giggled as she held out her hand as well. They slapped theirs together twice, before doing the same with the back of their hands. They then did a fist pump, a jellyfish, and finally, Lucy opened her palm and ting curled his fist.

"Turkey!" They said in unison when their hands came in contact. Layla watched her two children with a smile on her face. Sting really was different when Lucy was around. At their mansion, he had started becoming closed off, and it was breaking her heart. But the old Sting seemed to be revived again because Lucy was there.

"Come on guys, take a seat." Lucy said as they resumed where they sat before and Lucy sat beside her mother. "So bro, how's the railway business going?" Lucy asked.

"Ahh, it's going well, I guess." Sting said as he shrugged.

"Don't try to make an understatement Sting." Layla scolded before turning to Lucy. "Sting had just come up with an innovation that helped the company sell a lot of money and open business deals with other countries." Lucy's eyes widened.

"Congrats little brother. I'm so proud of you!" Lucy squealed.

"Well, I'm not the only one whose doing well. Looks like you've made a name for yourself, eh?" Sting said as he looked around the crowded restaurant. "You've done a fantastic job." He said.

"Thanks, Sting. I'm only here because of you, ya know?" She smiled. She then looked at her mother. "How's work going for you, mom?"

Layla owned one of the most popular wedding planner companies in the world, so, like her father, she traveled a lot. She had heard from Sting about a month prior that she had just returned from a wedding in Maldives, south of India.

Each of them talked about their experiences with their jobs before Sting seemed to remember something.

"Hang on, Lucy. I want to put something in your house. Is it open?" He asked.

"Yeah, it should be." Lucy replied before Sting left, leaving Lucy and her mother to chat.

Sting came back a few minutes later. To anyone else, it would look like he just had a blank face on, but Lucy wasn't anyone else. She could see that he was seething. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Lucy," he spoke in a quiet, but deadly, tone. "Why is there a man with pink hair in your house?" He asked slowly.

 **Thank you all so much for reading and I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed because you've honestly made my day, really.**

 **On another note, I got a review from someone name JustCurious asking me if I could give them some tips on writing, and I'm sincerely happy to do it. I don't consider myself** ** _that_** **good at writing, but I'm willing to share some of my ideas, so you guys can skip this if you don't want to read it.**

 **1\. Make sure you establish detailed character personalities. Whether you make your characters like the canon in a fandom or personalities of your own creation, it is important for the readers to get to know the characters first. It's better if your don't completely list out the things that your character likes out of the blue, even though it is okay to do that on some occasions, but to incorporate those things into the things like what they wear, what they do, etc.  
**

 **2\. Always remember what your plot line is. It's okay to stray from the plot line if you have an extra or something, but you want to make sure that you are not doing it too often or you are just going to have a bunch of one-shots.**

 **3\. Try to show some development in your characters. You don't have to do this for all of them, but sometimes it's best if you show character development to exemplify how the character has grown over the course of the story.**

 **4\. If you want to write a romance or a horror or whatever, it is important to throw in other elements too, like friendship or something else, to keep the story interesting. Not saying that stories based purely on romance aren't interesting, just that other elements to the story make the text more enjoyable and prevents repetition.**

 **That's all I can think of off the top of my head, so if I think of some more, I'll let you guys know. :)**

 **I hope that everyone is having a fantastic day wherever you are in the world and you are happy and joyful and...rainbows and...I'mma shut up now...**


	7. Rampage

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Laxus sighed as he dropped down on his cot. The young captain had just finished locking up Zeref. It had been a nightmare if anything, worse than any enemy attack. After Gray had left, the three other commanding officers were struggling to hold the tactician down. He screamed in agony as he tried to claw his way out of their hold. Once he had managed to do so, he sprinted out into the town, yelling with tears streaming down his face as if he was a madman. Zeref was a lot faster than any of them, considering his size to theirs.

Zeref had done what Laxus had expected his to do: go on a rampage. He started to tear up tents and break everything in sight. Luckily, all of the citizens were on the other side of the village. Even in his anger, Zeref didn't dare go after them, but because they weren't anywhere near him, he would be free to do as he pleased. That was until Laxus and the other warriors stopped him by literally forcing him into the ground. When it came to Natsu, there was no reasoning with Zeref. However, Zeref fought well, and ended up fracturing a lot of the bones of the warriors with just one shot of his bare fists.

Porlyusica, the village medic, injected some kind of green-colored sleeping serum into his neck, effectively knocking him out after a few more spasms. The rest of the warriors then carried him to the medical tent to be treated. They had no reason to fear him, mostly because most of them abandoned fear a long time ago. Anger issues or not, Zeref was still one of the most brilliant minds of the century.

Laxus had a gash on his cheek where Zeref struck him, but he knew that the pain was just like being tickled with a feather compared to the emotional conflict that Zeref must have been facing. Lisanna, he fiancee, had just entered the house and saw him. She ran to his side inspecting the gash.

"What happened?" She asked. She was used to seeing him like this. He _was_ one of the commanding officers after all. She took a wet cloth from a small wooden table and began to dab his wound.

"Zeref." Laxus replied simply. Lisanna furrowed her perfectly-shaped eyebrows.

"Why would Zeref...no...did something happen to Natsu?" Lisanna's voice had dropped below a whisper, her tone clearly showing her disbelief.

"We do not know. No one has found Natsu, and Gray had just brought his sword in. That means that he is either captured or dead." Laxus replied.

Lisanna gasped and covered her mouth. "Well, you must go rescue him then!" She said.

"No, we have no proof that he is even there, and the enemy has never gone to these lengths to try to win. If we attack and Natsu is not there, we could risk putting ourselves in more danger." Laxus explained as he held Lisanna's hand to his cheek.

Lisanna sighed. "But...what about Natsu? We cannot just leave him wherever he is, if he is even here anymore." She said as she blinked her tears back as the threatened to fall. Laxus took his big hand and cupped her chin gently.

"Lisanna, you should know more than anyone that Natsu is strong. He would not have allowed himself to be beaten so easily. Have hope that he is still alive." He told her, and she nodded.

Wherever Natsu was, Laxus hoped that he was just hanging in there.

* * *

Natsu was meditating on one of the couches in Lucy's living room, completely unharmed and feeling at peace.

Yukino had told him that he could go on a 'break'. Natsu had heard Lucy use this term before, meaning some sort of resting period, and Natsu was very glad that he got one. He had been working furiously for hours while Lucy sat outside with her family. It made Natsu realize how much the kitchen depends on her ability. Not that Yukino wasn't good, she was very much so, but Lucy seemed to be the one to direct everything.

Natsu thought about home. He wondered if anyone figured out that he was gone. This predicament had to happen at the worst time possible. They were in a middle of a war, after all.

Natsu's stomach clenched when he thought about when he had to leave Lucy. He wanted to go home also, but he had gotten used to the world he was in, or at least, as much as he could. But, his loyalty to his village came before anything else. If Lucy found a way to send him back, he would have to go, no questions asked. But that didn't stop the feeling of dread that washed over him. He felt so...attached to Lucy.

That _wasn't_ a good thing.

Attachment was something that challenged his principles. He was taught that it showed weakness and inferiority. Many of the village elders despised Laxus for trying to marry, but his grandfather let this slide, because he was truly in love with Lisanna. Even though Lisanna and Laxus were both his friends, he didn't encourage nor disapprove of their marriage because he was split half and half. He knew Laxus could easily protect Lisanna, considering that he is one of the strongest warriors that their village had ever seen, but another part of him knew that love truly was a weakness, and that if something happened to the one they cared deeply for, they would be broken. It was different for the bond between all of his comrades. They were willing to give up their lives to help their village, and they've accepted that their friends might die in battle. It doesn't make it any less painful, but that way you know that they had no regrets when fighting for what they believed in.

But Lucy was his friend, not his comrade or partner. Why did he feel the need to be around her? Why was there a tingling sensation in his stomach whenever he saw her? What had she done to him?

A door squeaking open interrupted Natsu's inner battle. He gripped the small knife that Lucy had given him, not flipping it out yet considering that it could be her. However, no warrior should make any assumptions when there is a presence that is unknown. He stalked carefully towards the hallway, making sure not to make a noise. He labored his breathing, keeping it steady, but silent.

Natsu was able to conclude that this person was not Lucy. The footsteps coming down the hall were rough and loud compared to Lucy's delicate footsteps. this intruder walked with no grace, and seemed to be very languid.

The footsteps stopped coming towards him, as if the person knew that there was someone else in the house. Natsu peaked around the corner to check the intruder's shadow. The knees were bent ever so slightly, showing the trait of wariness. The man, as Natsu concluded what gender the shadow belonged to crept closer and closer towards him, the steps now resembling his, but not exactly.

However, Natsu had no idea how to approach this situation. He knew nothing about the weapons of this time period, besides the knife that Lucy had given him. He also didn't know how the person would react and how their fighting style would be. However, he knew that he had to protect Lucy's abode. It was his obligation to since she had offered him her house to stay at, so her home is now his home.

Thinking that it would be better to fight bare-handed instead of with a weapon, Natsu tucked the small knife into his pocket. It would be against his code of honor to attack someone if they were unarmed. Natsu then stepped out of the shadow and swung his fist towards the intruder, which barely dodged the blow.

"What the actual hell!?" The man yelled out. Natsu took in the appearance of his foe and immediately dropped his offensive stance. He knew that the spiky blonde hair belonged to Lucy's younger brother, Sting.

"Sir Heartfilia, my sincerest apologies for attacking you. I have committed a crime." Natsu said as he dropped down to his knees and bowed his head in shame.

"Damn right you have! What the hell are you doing in here!?" Sting yelled. Why was there a man in his sister's house? And why was his hair _pink_? And why was he being so formal. It's true that he had attacked him, but no robber nor thief would ever apologize for that sort of thing.

Natsu did not flinch at him raising his voice, but still kept his head down. "I am on my 'break'." He explained, almost as if testing the word.

"Break?" Natsu nodded. "Do you...work here?" Sting asked.

"Oh yes, sir. Miss Lucy is my employer." Natsu replied.

"I see. But that still doesn't explain what you're doing in her house." Sting said, crossing his arms and glaring at the man.

"I had come to take a short rest. On this 'break', I decided that taking time in my home to meditate would be good for me." Natsu replied, once again, monotonously.

"W-wait! What do you mean _your_ home? This is Lucy's place." Sting said. He wanted to pound his head into a wall, but Lucy would scold him for getting blood all over them.

"Oh, how improper of me to say that since Miss Lucy still owns this dwelling. Please, forgive me again." Natsu's forehead was almost touching the ground at this point.

Sting had had enough of this. "You," He said, pointing to Natsu. Natsu looked up stoically, waiting instructions. "stay here, _don't move_." Sting ordered in his most authoritative voice. When he saw Natsu nod, Sting stomped out of Lucy's house and towards the table that she and their mother were at.

Sting kept his face stoic, like his father did, but he knew that Lucy would be able to pick up on his emotions. When he arrived at the table, he did not sit down, making Lucy and his mother look up at him. His mother looked at him worriedly, but he could tell that she couldn't tell what he was feeling. On the other hand, Lucy raised an eyebrow, noticing a bitter look in his eyes.

"Lucy," Sting started, speaking quietly, but his apoplectic tone creating an atmosphere so thick that it was almost tangible. "why is there a man with pink hair in you house?" He asked slowly, ready to gauge his older sister's reaction. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she tried to come up with words. It was obvious that Sting had seen something he shouldn't have seen, otherwise Lucy would be yelling about somebody being in her house.

"A man, eh?" Layla asked as she turned towards her daughter. Lucy could detect the sly tone in her mother's voice but chose to ignore it. How was she going to explain who Natsu was?

"Well?" Sting asked. They were lucky that most of the people had cleared out of the restaurant because it was nearing late afternoon.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Lucy always prided herself on being a very bad liar. It just shows that she's honest towards other people.

"Oh, I think you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Sting said as he took her wrist dragged her away, motioning with his head for their mother to follow. Sting stomped past the kitchen with Lucy in tow, catching the attention of Yukino, who decided to follow.

When Sting returned, he was surprised to find that Natsu was in the exact same spot as he left him. He hadn't even moved his position.

" _This_ is what I'm talking about." Sting said, jerking his thumb towards Natsu. Natsu raised his head to look into Lucy's eyes.

"My apologies Miss Lucy. I did not know that you forbade me to come in here." Natsu said as he bowed his head.

"Another thing, why is he talking like that?" Sting asked. Lucy looked at her brother and rolled her eyes at his rudeness before walking over to Natsu and motioning him to get up. She put a reassuring hand on his tense arm. _I swear, this boy worries way too much._ Lucy thought with a mental sigh.

"Natsu, it's fine. I didn't give any restrictions." Lucy assured. She felt his muscles become less tense, but she could tell that there was something else that was still bothering him. "What is it?" Lucy asked.

"I have committed a crime, Miss Lucy." Natsu stated dejectedly. Lucy raised her eyebrow in question, waiting for him to continue. "I had attacked your brother, thinking that he was an intruder." Natsu said.

"But you didn't hurt him, did you?" Lucy asked. Natsu shook his head.

"And another thing, why the hell did he say that this was his home to!?" Sting asked. Layla had to put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Don't tell me..."Sting started, his voice growing deathly quiet. "he's _living_ with you." He said.

Lucy was getting a little fed up with Sting's protective attitude and crossed her arms, ready to put her brother in his place. Even as children, Lucy always acted like the boss. "So what if he is?" Lucy asked, a snarky tinge in her tone. She could see a vein pop on her brother's forehead as he narrowed his eyes. They continued their silent staring competition until Layla slapped her two children on their heads.

"That's enough you two!" She scolded. "I think it is time for a formal introduction. Lucy, if you would be so kind." Layla motioned.

Lucy took in a deep breath, trying to come up with a lie that would explain why Natsu was there. She decided that a delayed answer would lead them to being more suspicious, so she just decided to wing it.

"Mom, Sting, this is Natsu Dragneel, my..." Lucy paused, before saying the first thing that popped into her head. "boyfriend." She ended. She mentally cringed. Why did she have to say _that_ of all things?

Layla covered her mouth to stifle a gasp, but Lucy could see a wide smile growing on her face. Her brother just looked shocked, trying to process the new information. Once he snapped out of his daze, Lucy could swear that his eyes went red.

"What!?" He exclaimed so loud that Natsu had to cover his ears. Lucy was happy that the restaurant was empty.

Natsu looked over at Lucy, confused about the whole ordeal. Lucy just smiled sheepishly at him and intertwined her arm with his.

"Oh my, I did not know that you would get a boyfriend so quickly. Aw honey, I'm so happy for you." Layla said as she hugged her daughter. She then turned to Natsu. "And it is a pleasure to meet you too." Layla said as she outstretched her hand. Natsu shook it gently, but with a strong grip.

"Thank you, ma'am." Natsu said as he gave a polite smile to the older woman.

"A strong grip and polite manner of speaking? There aren't very many men like you Mr. Dragneel." She let go of his hand and bowed. "Please take good care of my daughter." She said. Natsu didn't exactly understand what was going on, but he bowed anyway, concluding that Layla meant that he should protect her, which he was already planning on doing.

"Mother! Do you _not_ see the situation here!?" Sting asked incredulously. Layla turned to look at her son.

"I do, Sting. The situation is that my daughter has found a boyfriend after all the years I had thought that she was asexual." Lucy gawked at that. It was true, Lucy didn't really tend to look at boys very much, but she has had a few TV crushes in her teen years.

Lucy just buried her flustered face into Natsu's arm.

"But...he's living with her! Don't you think that is a little irresponsible?" Sting asked. Lucy decided that it was her turn to cut in.

"Hey! We're not doing anything weird, okay? Natsu needed a place to stay and he's also working under me so why shouldn't I let him live here?" Lucy asked. Sting looked torn at that. In the end, he just walked up to Natsu. Despite being four years his junior, Sting was only about half an inch below his height.

"Listen here. If you do _anything_ to hurt my big sister, I will see to it that you are disposed of. Permanently." Sting said with a glare. Natsu didn't exactly like how this man was getting all up in his face. Lucy was about to intervene, but Natsu calmed her and spoke for himself.

"I would never do anything to hurt her, you have my word." Natsu said as he bowed his head a little bit. Sting still seemed reluctant, but also satisfied to some degree. He nodded his head curtly and got out of Natsu's face.

"Very well then." He said. "Let's go mom, I have work to do back at the mansion." Layla nodded. "Goodbye Lucy, take care." He said as he hugged his sister, squeezing her tightly.

"Goodbye, Sting. Don't stress yourself too much, okay?" Lucy lightly scolded. Sting mock saluted and gave a short handshake to Natsu before heading out the door. After Lucy bid her farewells to her mother, she left as well. Lucy finally took a deep breath, hanging on to Natsu's arm to make sure she didn't fall down.

"So," A voice said from the hallway. Lucy turned to find Yukino, who was there the whole time but never said a word, standing in the hall crossing her arms. "boyfriend, eh? What happened to 'just friends'?" Yukino asked.

"Yuki..." Lucy threatened with a low tone. Yukino put her hands up in surrender before returning to the kitchen to clean up the mess she had made. Once she left, she ten turned to Natsu. "I'm sorry Natsu, I didn't mean to put you in an awkward situation like that."

"It would be even more awkward if I actually understood what was happening." He said honestly, causing Lucy to giggle. "Tell me, Miss Lucy, what is a boyfriend?" He asked.

Lucy's cheeks flared. "Um...a boyfriend is kind of like...a partner. Someone you are together with before you get married." She explained, her cheeks getting hotter and hotter by the second.

Understanding what she was saying, his face adopted a pink tinge as well. "Oh, I see." That was all he said.

"Well, um, I better help Yukino clean the kitchen." She said nervously as she left his side to go join Yukino, leaving Natsu to contemplate what she had said.

Lucy as a life partner?

If he had to be completely honest, that idea didn't sound too bad.

 **Well, that's it for this chapter folks! I really hope you enjoyed it! :)**

 **You know, when writing this, I took some time to contemplate how dependent we are on contractions now. I had to go back and fix all the contractions that I made Natsu say. If you find one, please please please point it out to me so I can fix it. Thanks guys!**

 **Another thing. I was reading this story, which I shall not name, and it seemed like the girl was infallible, no faults at all. All the boys liked her and she always did everything perfectly. If you like or write these kinds of stories, I have absolutely nothing against you because everyone can like what they want. However, while reading this, it made me feel so bad about myself because it made me feel more deeply flawed than I already am. Some people, not all, read to be understood, and understanding comes from accepting another's flaws. If a character doesn't have any flaws, then there is nothing to connect to.**

 **I just wanted to get that out there, because all of you guys are my friends and I just kind of wanted to express how I was feeling. Sorry if I'm rambling...  
**

 **Anyway, as always I hope that all of you beautiful people are having a fan-tastic day wherever you are! See you next time!  
**


	8. To Town

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

It was astounding to Natsu how quickly less than a week had passed. He had somehow become accustomed to the new way of living, even though he was very confused most of the time about things he saw outside the shop, and Lucy had to sit him down an explain them to him. By the end of the day, he always had a headache from the info dump he always got.

But the issue was that he hadn't even gone outside of the shop yet.

* * *

Lucy's Japanese Bistro was serene, quiet (most of the time without those high school students), and refreshing. This was mostly due to the fact that the restaurant was authentic and it was situated on a plot of land that was away from the city. This was actually helpful to Lucy when she was trying to settle Natsu in to the future.

However, she was running out of a few staple ingredients that she needed, and she knew that she had to run to the store, but she couldn't leave Natsu here by himself, and it was Yukino's day off. This could go either really well, or really bad, and the odds seem against her in this dispute.

Another thing that Lucy had noticed was that she hadn't really been trying anything to get Natsu back to his own time. She was just so happy to have his company around that she thought that it would be nice to live like that. However, Natsu had duties to his people, and that came before any kind of distant fantasy that she could think of. She was planning to also go to the resident "psychic" in town, but it would be really awkward for Natsu to be there with her since he would probably feel the urge to touch something, and she couldn't just put him in one place and expect him to just stay there when there are so many unfamiliar things around him. Well, technically she could since Natsu was dead serious about doing absolutely everything she said, but she didn't want to risk it.

But Lucy had noticed the slight change in his dialect. His mannerisms and diction were still in tact, but she noticed that he was a lot more relaxed when he spoke to her, but he never stopped using honorifics. It made Lucy happy that he was becoming more comfortable around her, but she knew that he also wanted to know how his family was doing. There were some nights where she would find him not sitting near the edge of her bed, but near her bedroom window, staring up at the moon as the luminescent light flushed out all of the color from his face. Lucy would have been drawn to how handsome his features were under the moonlight if she wasn't too distracted by how his eyes demonstrated the emotion of longing and anxiousness. He would then notice that she was staring and turn to her, reassuringly nod his head at her, and then continued what he was doing before.

How could she dare keep him here after seeing a look like that?

* * *

Lucy had told him to get ready early, which he did so without dissent or reluctance. He started the bath like Lucy showed him how to do and hopped in, relaxing in the scent of lavender that just screamed Lucy. If no one was around, then he could risk being relaxed.

After his shower, he quickly dressed himself at left the bathroom to meet Lucy in her bedroom. He still preferred the kimono her wore over the so called 'regular' clothes of the time period, but Lucy's goal was to make sure that he was comfortable, and she was doing a pretty god job. He had to admit, then little 'beanie' on top of his head was actually nice to have.

Lucy looked at him and smiled before dragging him out the door. They passed through the restaurant and headed towards a door. A door that he had never gone out of. The whole time he was there, he was either in the house, the kitchen, or out in the woods on the other side. Never once did he turn towards the direction of the strange black gravel and oddly bright yellow lines.

"Miss Lucy, might I ask where we are going?" Natsu asked. When they stepped out of the restaurant and into the sunlight, Lucy linked her arm with his. She kept a firm grip on him, as to assure herself that he would not run away.

"We're going into town to pick up some things we need because we are running low on some of the stock here. There's a little fish market just down the road from here, so we'll just walk." Lucy explained.

"Well, how else would we get there, Miss Lucy? Do you have a horse that you can ride?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. Lucy just had to laugh. He still had so much to learn, but there was also so much that Lucy was too lazy to bother explaining to him.

"You still have a lot to learn about the world, Natsu." Lucy said as she started walking, and of course, since their arms were intertwined, Natsu started walking as well. Her last sentence startled him. He thought that he had a pretty good grasp on the new world. Was she saying that there were more surprises than a little white switch that can activate some sort of lantern by 'electricity'?

He and Lucy walked down the black rock trail for what he estimated was a few miles. The first mile, nothing surprised him. There were trees all around and little houses with lights lit up, and he found no need to ask any questions.

When the next mile came up, he started to notice the tall structures towering in the distance. He had never seen something so magnificently large, and he doubted that it was even a building. It was a sort of triangular shaped building and it had a pointed tip, almost like it was scraping the sky.

By the time of the final mile, he was thoroughly confused...with everything.

What was all of this!?

There were metal boxes of many colors moving on the black gravel ground as people ran to and fro across it. There were people sitting in those boxes, which could be seen through the small windows on the sides, but how was the box on wheels moving if there was no horse or person to push it? Bright lights switched from a green, to a yellow, then to a red, almost instantly. Was it some sort of magic?

People walked in a huge mob in all directions on the gray pavement, not even greeting each other and just focusing their eyes on some little box that he saw Lucy talk into before. They were tapping their fingers on it or something. _Is it some sort of contraption to make music?_ Natsu thought.

The pink-haired man looked like a deer caught in the headlights. His eyes were wide and he looked at everything as if it came from a different planet. Lucy allowed Natsu to take the sight in, disregarding all the weird looks that people were sending him.

"Natsu," she said before she looked at him. "welcome to the modern world."

* * *

Lucy should have expected this.

Natsu was pointing something out and asking about it every two minutes.

To be completely honest on her part, it was more cute than annoying. It was like explaining everything to a little kid. But it did make Lucy a little uncomfortable to be next to such a tense Natsu. He linked one arm with hers, keeping it steady in case he had to protect her from something (or how she sees it, in case she needs to protect _him_ from something) and his other hand was inside his pocket, no doubt clutching onto the knife she gave him. She still hasn't unraveled the whole psychology as to why he has to have that with him, but if it makes him feel safe, she has no objections. Well, except for the fact that he might stab someone if he feels threatened.

To keep his mind off things, Lucy decided to waste time in the fish market, letting him browse the endless species of fish in all of their beautiful colors and not so beautiful smells. Natsu pointed out the fish he knew, and told her the fish that he hadn't even heard of before. She joked around with him, and saw the tension rise off of his muscles. It must have helped that the huge fish market was very authentic and looked like it belonged to a fisherman of Natsu's time, since it was out in the open and didn't have a building surrounding it. The only difference was that there was a cash register in the back of the market instead of a merchant standing at the side collecting the money. In the end, they both ended up playing a game.

"Alright, Natsu. This fish is found in tropical climate, it has neutral colors, and there is, like, a ton of different species of them. What is it?" She asked, trying to see if he could guess it with his back turned.

"Hmm. If I had to take a guess, I would take a gamble at the fish being a mackerel." He said before he turned around, seeing Lucy holding up a foot-long mackerel from it's tail.

"That answer is cooooorect!" She said as if she was on a talk show, but she knew that Natsu was just wondering why she drew out the syllable. Natsu smiled at her as she asked one of the people working at the shop to wrap the fish for her. He's had so much fun with her these last few days. Every morning, he wakes up seeing her face (even if he is not in her bed) and it is so refreshing because she isn't like a lot of girls where he's from. He just liked spending time with her, and he could tell from how she was smiling that she reciprocated his feelings.

Lucy then turned to him. "Are you hungry Natsu?" Lucy asked. It was customary for him to say no, considering that if he _was_ hungry, then she would be forced to buy something from the market for him, and he didn't want to her to waste that money. He just shook his head, knowing that his stomach wouldn't betray him and growl considering that he was trained to never give off any signs of emotion, and even trained his body to not any sounds to hide his hunger.

"Do not worry, Miss Lucy. I do not want you to fret about my hunger." Natsu said. Lucy pouted.

"But what if I told you that I was hungry?" Lucy asked as she stepped closer.

Natsu eyes widened. "Then we must get something immediately. We do not want you to be hungry."

"Great! Because I won't eat unless you do." Lucy smiled.

Natsu shook his head ardently. "I could not ask that of you Miss Lucy. You have already done so much for me."

"Yes, but I want to make sure that you don't starve. You have a village to protect when you get home, right?" Lucy asked.

His village...over the course of the time he was here, he hadn't really stopped thinking about them, but with his new job and all, it was easy for his mind to be preoccupied. But Lucy was right. When he got back home, he would have to fight again, to protect his friends and the ones he cared about.

"You are right, Miss Lucy." He said dejectedly. He was quite pensive as he thought about how Lucy had changed his life, and if he could go back to being the same after he saw what the future held for them. It wasn't like that future was bad, but he was so confused as to why people didn't acknowledge each other anymore, like they didn't care for one another. Was that really what society was going to be 400 years from when he came from?

He felt a hand reach out to his and intertwine their fingers. "It's going to be okay Natsu, you'll see your family soon enough." She said. Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. She completely misinterpreted his body language when he was thinking. He just nodded.

"Dannie?" She called as the same person she was talking to about the fish came up. "Natsu and I are going out for lunch. Can you hold that 'till I get back?" She asked. The man, referred to as Dannie, nodded and proceeded to put the fish in storage for her to make sure it didn't rot. "Come on Natsu, there's one food you _have_ to try."

* * *

Natsu knew that it was the modern world, but he also expected the restaurants to have a certain genuine aspect to them like Lucy's did. However, where Lucy took him was anywhere but that.

Lucy was almost jumping up and down with excitement as she held on to Natsu's arm. She had taken him to her favorite place when she first moved to Fiore.

"Miss Lucy, may I ask where we are?" Natsu asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear as they waited at the door in the restaurant. It was a very odd place. There were tables and chairs that were high up like the one at Lucy's desk, not like the ones he was used to at her bistro. There was some kind of music playing in the background and he heard a lot of loud talk and laughter. It was all very overwhelming and he found himself not really liking it very much. However, he did admit that the smell was incredible.

"Yes you may. We're at my favorite pizza place of all time!" She exclaimed excitedly. Natsu felt her grip on him tighten.

"Piz-Pizza?" Natsu asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Mhm, trust me, you're going to love it!" Pizza itself probably went against every eating principle that Natsu was taught. However, if she was going to send him back, then it would be a sin if she sent him back without trying _pizza_.

Five minutes later, they were seated at their table across from each other. Natsu took note of the comfortableness of the seat, and he concluded that the chair had some sort of soft substance. It was better than the few wooden chairs they had back in old time Magnolia. Those were _majorly_ uncomfortable.

"What is this...pizza made out of?" Natsu asked.

"Um, lots of grease and cheese and whatever you want on top." Lucy explained simply.

"That sounds unhealthy." Natsu deadpanned.

Lucy shrugged. "Well, you can eat anything in moderation." She said.

"That's not what I was taught." Natsu said before he folded his fingers and put them on the table, straightening his posture. Lucy nodded her head distantly before she shot her head up, looking at Natsu with wide eyes. "What is the matter?" Natsu asked.

"You...you said 'that's'. It's a contraction!" Lucy yelled. A few people in the restaurant heard this and gave her a strange look, debating if she was crazy or not.

Natsu realized his mistake and his ears went red. He had to fight down the urge to let the hue spread onto his face. "My apologies, Miss Lucy. I did not mean to be informal." Natsu said with his head bowed.

Lucy shook her hands in front of her face frantically. "No, no, no. It tells me that you're becoming more comfortable around me. Friends are supposed to be comfortable around each other, right?" She asked.

Natsu shook his head. "I never said that I was uncomfortable around you, Miss Lucy. It is just in my teachings to be respectful to everyone. If anything, I feel very comfortable around you." He reassured. Lucy smiled at him.

They didn't talk until the ordered pizza came ten minutes later.

* * *

"Here you go." The waitress said as she set the pizza on the table. "Let me know if you need anything."

"We will, thank you." Lucy said. And with that, the waitress walked away.

Natsu looked down at the circular piece of bread that was presented in front of him on a refined wooden slab. This 'pizza' had bread crust on the outside, and upon touch he heard a cracking sound and he could feel it's warmth. The crust seemed to depress into a valley that had a blend of all kinds of colors. It looked like some kind of cheese was melted on top of the bread. There were various vegetables and meats scattered across on top.

"Let's see here. We have pepperoni, mushroom, spinach, onion, and jalapeno. I hope you don't mind that I didn't order olives, I don't really like them." Lucy said. Natsu just nodded, not really knowing what olives were because they weren't grown where he was from. However, the one thing he was really drawn to was the jalapenos. Jalapenos were one of the three main exports of Fiore, and just so happened to be his favorite food. He would be lucky to eat one or two a year, considering he had the same meal every single day. He never voiced what his favorite food was, knowing that he would probably get beaten for it because his mind was on something else other than training.

"How do I eat it?" Natsu asked.

He watched as Lucy picked up one of the triangular slices and put it in her plate quickly, as if the pizza burned her. "It's already pre-cut. You just have to take a slice and put it in your plate."

Natsu followed Lucy's example, easily dispatching one of the triangular pieces and placing it into his plate. There was steam coming out of it, signifying that it was hot. He secretly always liked his food hot. He looked for chopsticks or spoons and forks to eat it with, but he found none.

"Miss Lucy, what am I supposed to eat it with?" Natsu asked.

"With your hands." She said. She lifted the pizza with both of her hands and brought it to her mouth, but didn't take a bite and set it back down. "Like that."

"Are you not going to eat it?" Natsu asked.

"I am, but once it's cooled down a bit. Careful it's..." Natsu had already taken a bite. "...hot." Lucy finished. He did not cringe or anything of the sort. He ate it as if it was lukewarm.

As Natsu chewed, he couldn't help but widen his eyes at the explosion of flavor that entered his mouth. The cheese was greasy, which he found odd, but it blended in perfectly with the thin slice of bread that was below it. The toppings that adorned the pizza gave a mix of spicy, bitter, dry, and sour, which resonated with all of his taste buds. Once he swallowed it, he took time to marvel the piece of art this day called pizza. He wished that there was something like that where he came from, even if he wasn't allowed to have it.

"So...how is it?" Lucy asked, biting her lip. Natsu looked at her to respond, but suddenly forgot what he was going to say. The curious look in her chocolaty orbs pulled him in as he got lost deeper and deeper inside of them. He felt the need to move closer to her, to see what was so enticing about those eyes. His legs jerked, but he realized what he was doing and calmly recovered his facade before Lucy even noticed.

"It is delicious. A beautiful explosion of flavor. I thank you for bringing me here, Miss Lucy." Natsu said.

"You're welcome, I'm glad you like it." She smiled. Her slice had cooled down now, so she took a bite. It was still a bit hot, and she had to take slow and steady bites to make sure her mouth could adjust to the heat. She didn't understand how Natsu could pop the whole thing in his mouth so fast. "Hey Natsu? How did you eat the pizza so fast? Wasn't it hot?" She asked.

"Not at all. Warriors are trained to survive all sorts of conditions. This is trivial compared to the fire I eat." He said.

"W-wait! _Fire_? Are you being figurative?" She asked, a little apprehension in her tone.

"No, milady, I am not. Warriors are trained to eat fire. However, out of the whole regime, I am the only one who has been able to master this technique." He said. Lucy's mouth dropped open.

"But...doesn't it hurt your throat or something?" Lucy asked, shocked.

"At first it did, but all warriors must be able to overcome all obstacles." He said.

Lucy payed for the bill and she and Natsu headed back to the fish market. Lucy learned a lot more about him, and it made her happy to see him open up to her. He even used a contraction. (Lucy gave out a mental squeal). However, the time would come when Natsu had to be sent back, and she promised that she would bring him back to his family.

And a Heartfilia never breaks their promises. No matter how much they want to.

 **Alright, so that's another chapter finished! I really hope that you guys enjoyed it! While writing the scene about the pizza, I was actually eating pizza, so I just wrote down what I felt. Anyway, I was going to write about Natsu reacting to some kind of modern food anyway, but I want to give a shout out to ftx777x for suggesting pizza. Thank you so much!  
**

 **Annnnnd as always I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever they are! I'll see you guys next time.**


	9. At Peace

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

If Natsu wasn't so used to pain, he would of yelped.

He turned his head a few degrees to see a small clot of pink hair in his housemates hands.

"Dang Natsu, did you ever comb your hair at all?" Lucy said as she ran the plastic brush through his spiky pink locks once again.

"There was no time for us to do so." Natsu mumbled, and Lucy could almost see a small pout forming on his face, much like the one he had seen her use. The expression was gone as soon as it came.

"Well," she struggled out as she ran the comb through his hair again. "It's important to keep your hair neat."

"May I ask why?"

"Um...hygiene I guess." Lucy shrugged. She pulled through one more lock before looking at his hair and nodding. "Alright, I think you're done now." Natsu wanted to sigh in relief, but contained himself.

It was a particularly nice day in Magnolia, especially for the wintertime. The day was mostly cloudy with little specks of golden rays piercing through them. There was no biting chill and no pestering wind. The day was calm, and Lucy wanted to take that as a good sign.

Lucy had been teaching Natsu more techniques in cooking so that he could help her with other dishes if needed be. Natsu listened attentively, knowing that if he zoned out for even one second, he would miss out on an important piece of information. Natsu was a quick learner, faster than Lucy had ever been, and took his work seriously. Lucy always asked him if he wanted to take a day off, but he always shook his head and said that it was his duty to perform his best for her, and that meant no breaks. Lucy stopped asking after a while because she knew that he wouldn't change his answer.

He and Yukino seemed to be getting along perfectly. In a way, Natsu reminds Lucy of how she treats Yukino, since Natsu is always looking after the welfare of both Yukino and the baby growing inside her. It made Lucy happy that Natsu was not only opening up to her, but other people too. However, Yukino was a gentle soul, and there were lots of people in the world who weren't like that. Lucy feared what Natsu would think of her world if Natsu saw how times have truly changed between four hundred years ago and then.

"Is there any place like that Ms. Lucy?" Natsu asked while they were both working. Lucy smiled sheepishly because she did not hear his statement prior. She was too engrossed in her own thoughts to register that he was talking to her.

"I'm sorry, Natsu. Can you repeat that?" Lucy asked. Natsu nodded.

"I asked if there was any place like the old traditional gardens or another place like the forest." He repeated without skipping a beat.

"Oh, well I'm sure Magnolia has some historical garden we can visit during our free time." Natsu nodded. "Why do you ask, Natsu?"

"Oh, no reason to give concern to, Miss Lucy." Natsu said turning back to his rice ball.

"Natsu?" Lucy asked as she went closer to him. She know stood directly next to him, expecting an answer. "You can tell me, you know? We're close, aren't we?" She asked, still a little upset that he wouldn't open up to her as much as she wanted him to.

"Of course we are, Miss Lucy. It is just that...gardens like those have sentimental value. They remind me of my dear brother. I truly hope he is doing well now." Natsu replied. He felt a strange shiver run up his spine as he said this, but he did not let it show.

"I see. Well, once work is off, I'll take you there." Lucy offered.

"That would be lovely. Thank you Ms. Lucy." He said as he bowed. Lucy hit a wooden spoon over his head.

"What did I say about bowing?" Lucy rhetorically asked. Natsu got the message and nodded, continuing with his work.

* * *

By three o'clock, the restaurant was empty. The sky had cleared up a lot, and now it was one solid color of blue. To most, it might seem like it was a clear day, but they wouldn't stop to notice that the blue sky was washed out and paler, symbolizing a thin layer of clouds coating it.

Lucy grabbed her purse, making sure she had all of her necessities before turning to Natsu, who was waiting obediently for her orders. She could tell that he had taken a liking to the pair of sweatpants and loose flannel shirt, since he looked more relaxed in those than he looked in jeans or a tank top.

"I'm all set, let's get in the car." Lucy said as she led him to the little garage in her house.

"A...car?" Natsu asked, tilting his head. Lucy just sighed.

"You'll see." She said.

She led him to a door that was thicker than all of the rest, and had wood that was painted white instead of being all brown. Lucy turned the metal knob and ushered him inside, telling him to watch his step. The room was dark and colder than the rest of the house. In a split second, the lights switched on, making Natsu squint to try to adjust to it. Once he had, he saw Lucy standing near one of those metal boxes that he had seen on the streets when they went shopping together. This was a big, black box that did not have a roof like the other boxes he had seen, and this one looked a little dirtier. He looked at Lucy strangely, and she motioned him to stand on the other side of the box. Natsu did so without question, and then looked at Lucy for instruction on what to do next.

"Pull the handle..." She started. Natsu looked down at the car to see that there was a little handle. He pulled it like she said, and the metal seemed to swing open. Natsu stumbled back a little bit, making Lucy laugh. "It's okay, Natsu, that is supposed to happen." She said, opening the door on her side. "Now what you want to do is step on this metal plate below your door and push yourself up to put one foot in the car, then sit in your seat." She said as she demonstrated her own instructions.

Natsu was confused at first, but looked at the metal step that Lucy had talked about and put his foot on in, hoisting himself into the vehicle as well. He sat down and closed the door like she did, and closed the door to the box before sitting stiffly upright.

It was practically a game of 'follow the leader'.

"Alright Natsu, now you have to put on your seat belt. It's this thing over here." She said pointing to a metal buckle off to the side of her. She pulled it, and some kind of thin rope appeared out of nowhere. She then fastened it into a slot on the other side of the seat, so he did the same. But somehow, he ended up tangling his arm in the belt.

Lucy sighed.

* * *

Natsu couldn't take his eyes off the road.

Everything was going by so fast. All the people on the streets were going by like little blurs. He could feel the wind attack his pink locks, probably undoing the work that Lucy had done that morning. He noticed that all the other boxes, which Lucy had called 'cars', were different sizes and colors. Some were white, some were black, some were even a color that Natsu had never seen before. When he asked Lucy about it, she told him that it was the color magenta. Natsu disliked the color on the car.

"Ms. Lucy? Why are all of these bo- my pardon, cars, different?" Natsu asked.

"Hmm...I guess it is the preference of the owner. Like this car is called a Jeep and it's really high up. It's a car that I really like, but other people might see it a different way. The magenta car that just passed by is another preference. I really like the color itself, but not on the car, but that might not be the opinion of the owner." Lucy explained, her eyes still on the road.

"Does that mean that in this society, it is proper to express different opinions?" Natsu asked.

Lucy shrugged. "I wouldn't say _proper_ , but everyone has the freedom to express what they like. What was it like back in your time?" Lucy asked.

Natsu raised his head to stare up at the sky, as if trying to remember something. "Most people just conformed to what the king wanted. There were only certain types of art that were allowed and most people wore the same clothes. If someone had a favorite color, they did not mention it to anyone."

"Was your king a dictator or tyrant?" Lucy asked, fearing for what life would have been like for people in Natsu's time.

Natsu shook his head. "Absolutely not. Our king was fair and just, and usually did things that were for the will of the people."

Lucy smiled. "That's good then." She said as she slowed down the car.

Natsu watched in fascination as the green light turned yellow.

* * *

The pair arrived at the garden about five minutes later. Lucy swiftly unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. Natsu unbuckled his just as quickly, but while getting out, he missed the metal plate a fell onto the ground, quite comically from Lucy's perspective.

Lucy jogged her way around the car to see him brushing dust off of his shirt with a blank face, pretending nothing happened. "Are you okay?" Lucy asked while giggling a little.

"Yes, I am fine." Natsu said as he rolled his shoulders back.

"Okay, if you say so." Lucy said cheerily as she grabbed his arm. "C'mon, let's go!" She said before dragging him to the front entrance. At the toll booth was a young woman, probably just out of high school and working a part-time job. She had her face squished into her hand and had her elbow leaning on the table, and she looked as bored as could be.

Natsu and Lucy walked up to her, their arms not intertwined now. "Welcome to Magnolia's Beautiful Garden's. Three dollars for adults and free for children." She said in a bored tone, without looking at them. When she did turn to face them, her eyes lightened up at the sight of Natsu. "Hello there!" She said, her voice bright and chirpy this time. Lucy felt a vein pop on her head. "Can I interest you in taking a personal tour? I'd love to offer you my guidance." She asked, leaning on her hand once more with a dreamy look in her eye. Natsu's expression didn't change.

"No, thank you. I am just here to see the gardens with my friend." He said, politely motioning to Lucy. The girl then looked at Lucy, as if just noticing that she was there. Instead of glaring at her like she thought that she would do because that's what happens in all of the high school drama anime, the girl just seemed to deflate a bit.

"Oh, I see. Well, um, I'm here any time you need me." She mumbled, and Natsu nodded his head in thanks. "Three dollars for adults." She repeated. Lucy paid the money and they both got their tickets to go inside, but not before the girl scribbled something on Natsu's ticket before handing it to him.

When they got inside, Natsu looked at the back of his ticket before scratching his head. "She wrote a series of numbers on the back of my card. Do you know what this means?" Natsu asked, handing the ticket to Lucy. Lucy looked at it and wanted to roll her eyes at the phone number that was scribbled on the back, but kept that action contained, cutting the young girl some slack.

"Um, nope. I-uh-I don't know that that means." Lucy said as she shrugged. Natsu didn't question her, even though she seemed nervous. "Come on. There's so much to see! You'll absolutely love it Natsu." Lucy said as they walked towards the main square of the garden. It was like stepping into a different world, one filled with color and serenity. The atmosphere itself almost lifted a weight off of one's shoulders and they would seem to stand more upright. The air was clean, and it was easy to get intoxicated in the scent of fresh bamboo and maple, making people take multiple deep breaths to situate their senses with the new aroma.

Lucy made sure to take Natsu everywhere, as it seemed to make him at peace knowing that some things hadn't changed from 400 years ago. That was probably why he wanted to come here in the first place. She knew that he was probably overwhelmed with everything going on, especially since he has to adapt to a new way of living, and it seemed that these garden released his stress because they reminded him of home. She hoped that he could go back soon, so he didn't have to suffer like that anymore.

The sun was in it's four o'clock position, but it was being blocked by the large mountain that rose from the west. A few ladybugs and fireflies could be seen flying around the bushes, illuminating some of the flowers and making them more beautiful than they already were. Natsu and Lucy sat under a large willow tree as it's leaves draped over them like a curtain. They both laid against the trunk and watched as the wind swayed the leaves of the willow from side to side.

"I had a really fun time, Natsu." Lucy said, finally ending the silence between the two.

"Your feelings are reciprocated, Ms. Lucy. I had a very enjoyable time myself." Natsu replied, looking straight into her eyes. The direct eye contact made Lucy look away discreetly. She cursed mentally, wondering what was wrong with her. There was just something about Natsu's stare that was so scorching, that a person couldn't help but look away. Not that it was a bad thing; there was just something about Natsu's gaze that made Lucy feel so exposed. "Is everything alright?" Natsu asked, bending his head down a little bit as if trying to catch her gaze once more.

"Oh, it's nothing really." She said, staring back at the small peeks of sunlight coming from the unfilled areas in between the willow's leaves. Natsu turned his head towards the direction she was looking at, feeling a little down for some reason. "We should probably head back, it's getting late." Lucy said as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Indeed." Natsu said as he got up as well. While doing so, their hands brushed against each other.

It wasn't like all of the movies where they both felt a spark between them, and then they would stare into each others eyes and then kiss. However, when they came into contact with each other, it seemed like neither of them wanted to move away, and they kept their hands in the exact same position for a few moments. As Lucy realized that she she had been just frozen, she quickly removed her hand and back away, blushing from embarrassment.

Natsu stood up and pretended that nothing happened, like he usually does. There was just something that wanted to make him hold her hand. Her hands were not the perfect smooth and silky skin that women wanted to achieve. Her hands were more calloused (not too much so) and he could detect a few small cuts hear and there, signifying hard work. He respected that about her. But that wasn't the reason why he kept his hand still when he felt hers on his.

He just didn't really know what that reason was. It just made him feel warm.

 **Hi guys! I'm so so so so sorry for that rushed chapter, because it probably sucked. However, I've been sick for the past week, but I don't want to use that for an excuse! I've also haven't felt up to writing these days. What do people call it again?... Oh yeah, WRITER'S BLOCK. And it sucks! The next chapter will be better, I promise!**

 **On that note, I hope that everyone is having a fantastic day wherever they are and that if they are sick in bed with the flu like me that they get better! If you're not...enjoy not being sick, because it's a beautiful thing not to be...**

 **Anyway, bye~!**


	10. Hoax

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Almost everyone was outside that day.

There was no reason not to, considering there was not a single cloud in the sky and it was still January. It was also very hot outside, almost twenty-two degrees (about seventy-one degrees Fahrenheit), and after a long winter, it felt like summer had come early. Maybe it really did.

It was Sunday that day, so Lucy was just sitting at her desk, working on her taxes like a responsible adult. Natsu had gone out to the forest an hour prior, taking her sword with him. No matter how much time he spends with her, he cannot forget how important a lifetime's worth of training is. Lucy respected that and let him go.

Numbers, numbers, numbers, and more numbers (with some words)! That was all Lucy could see on her screen. Sitting in front of her computer for three hours, shifting through different bills and receipts was tiring and boring. Sadly, she wasn't as efficient as Yukino always praised her to be.

Lucy decided that she needed a break, since she wasn't getting anywhere just staring at her screen and rubbing her temples. She had contemplated going out into the forest to watch Natsu train, but he might not be comfortable having her watch him, so she just let him be. She had plenty to do around the house anyway. Scrub floors, make lunch, do the dishes, all that fun stuff.

Speaking of making lunch, Lucy remembered that she still had to go buy groceries at the store. Having about 300 customers per day really wiped out her stock. Lucy was contemplating just waiting for Natsu to come back and take him with her, but she didn't think she could take another round of questions that seem to come from the now slightly-more talkative man. She wondered where she could leave a note that he could see it, and just settled for putting it on her desk, since he would have to pass it to hang her sword up on her wall.

Quickly scribbling down a few words and putting it on top of her desk, Lucy grabbed her car keys and headed out for the local farmer's market. She didn't need any more fish, since she had seemed to have gotten too much the last time they were there, but her produce stock was dangerously low and she felt like the farmer's market was a great place to start replenishing her larder.

Hopping into her black Jeep that was showing signs of its age, she drove towards the market, not bothering to turn on the radio because she did not want to be one of those people who blasted their music on their loudest volume (no offense to the people who actually do that). She just enjoyed the feeling of the wind through her hair as she drove down the road. It had been a long time since she had gotten a peaceful car ride to herself, with all the work she's been doing around the restaurant. Lucy smiled as she slowed down the car at the stoplight, thinking about Natsu. If she had to take a guess, he had been with her for about a month now, even though it didn't seem so. He had been such a big help with everything, even though he was still pretty clueless about the world.

 _I guess that's my fault. I don't take him out as much as I should._ Lucy frowned. _I just don't want him to get hurt. No matter how well-trained of a warrior he is, the world isn't a really nice place._ She thought. She thought. _I can't imagine what it's like to be in his situation, it must be so frightening. But he seems to be taking it well. At least, that's what I think._ Lucy squinted her eyes once before staring determinedly at her hands. _I promised him that I would send him back, and that's what I'm planning to do, no matter what._

"Hey lady! The light's green, dammit!" Somebody yelled from their car window as they honked at her. Lucy quickly stepped on the gas and passed through the light before it could turn yellow.

 _Jeez, some people these days have major road rage!_ Lucy thought as she rolled her eyes.

* * *

Lucy loaded her last paper bag of groceries into her jeep before closing the back and making her way to the driver's seat. As she got in her car, she took out a little list she always carried with her and marked tomatoes, lettuce, bell pepper, lemon, and ginger off of it. It was a trivial action though, since she had already gotten everything on her list so there was no point having it anymore. Lucy smacked her forehead. Why did she always have to do that?

She got out of the car once again and threw the little piece of paper away in the nearby trash bin. She also noticed a little metallic purple paper next to the trash can and, like the good citizen she is, she decided to pick it up and throw it away. However, she stopped her motion when she saw the word 'psychic'. She unraveled the piece of paper to find a flier for the local so-called "magician". Lucy wanted to go to her and ask about the situation at hand, but she never got around to it. As pointless as it may seem, it wasn't like she had any other options. She looked down at the crumpled up paper again.

 _Alberona's Psychic Tavern_

 _Tarot Cards and Fortune Telling  
_

 _First Session FREE!_

 _2333 Crocus Ln._

Lucy got into her car once again.

* * *

Luckily for Lucy, the tavern wasn't some creepy house in the middle of the woods. It was actually in the middle of a really well-known restaurant and a Jamba Juice, both of which were very heavily populated. After parking in front of the place, she got out of her car and stood in front of the large purple building, her determination wavering just slightly. She breathed a deep sigh at her idiocy and pushed open the door, hearing a bell chime.

The place wasn't completely empty, but there were mostly parents and their children looking at all of the cool 'magic' stuff. There were a lot of things that could be used for gags or party tricks, but nothing there seemed to be what she was looking for.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?" A young woman behind her asked. Lucy turned around to face a woman, probably around her age if not a year older, who had brown hair that went down to her waist and very mystifying purple eyes. She was wearing clothes that you would think a stereotypical gypsy would wear, minus the long, bright colored skirt. This girl was just wearing some brown cargo pants.

"Um, yes. I was hoping to..." Lucy had to think of her next words. "to have a fortune telling session..." She trailed off a little.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you a little old for that kind of stuff?"

"Aren't you a little old to be doing that kind of stuff?" Lucy asked. A devious smirk grew on the woman's face.

"Good answer, girly." She stuck out her hand. "Cana Alberona. I'm the owner of this shop."

Lucy took the woman's hand and shook it. "Lucy Heartfilia." She introduced.

"Come on then, in the back we go." She said as she ushered Lucy into a curtain in the back. The room was illuminated with blue and red light, and there was a crystal ball in the middle of the room on a table with a black velvet table cloth. Chairs were on both sides of the table, facing each other. "Take a seat, Lucy." Lucy did so, and she saw Cana do the same across from her. "I get the feeling that you did not come here for a fortune. Tell me, is there something else I can do for you?" Cana asked.

Lucy wasn't sure how she knew about that, and she wasn't too sure how to phrase what she wanted answered. "I just have a problem, and I want to know if there is a solution. I don't believe that anyone else would understand." Lucy explained.

"Ah, now I see. Just place your hands on the crystal ball. It will give me the answer you seek without you having to tell me anything." She said, motioning to the crystal ball. Lucy looked at it and hesitated a little, but Cana seemed to notice and breathed out a heavy sigh. "If you think it's a hoax, then there would be no point in coming here. If you truly want me to help you, your mind better be clear of any worry of hesitation." Cana said.

Lucy nodded. It wasn't like she had anything to lose. "Alright." She said finally, putting her hands on the ball. It was cold underneath her touch, but it wasn't unpleasant. The ball suddenly became clouded by smoke, making Lucy look at it weirdly.

"Keep your focus on your problem." Cana sapped at her, making Lucy close her eyes to prevent further distraction. "Alright, keep thinking about your problem and ask your question in your head, the ball will give me an answer." She heard Cana say. Lucy did as she was told, but then she heard Cana gasp.

"What is this? A man?" Cana asked. Lucy froze up. She could have been talking about anyone, it didn't mean that it was Natsu. For all she knew, she could be going into a big rant about her love life. "But this man is different. This vibe about him, it is as if he is not from here. Not from this time, even." Lucy had to control her breathing. She was starting to feel as if she was chest-deep in water. "He doesn't belong here and he doesn't know how to get back. You're helping this man, aren't you?" She asked.

"Yes, I am." Lucy said, trying to keep her voice strong.

"You are looking for a way to get him back to his family. A family that should have been dead a long time ago. He came through a place with trees, perhaps a forest?" Lucy nodded, but she wasn't sure if Cana saw her or not. "You have a strong desire to send him back, as if to want to alleviate some suffering that he has. But...there is something else. It is as if...you also _do not_ want him to go back." Lucy opened her eyes at this point, confusion in her eyes as she looked at Cana. "Could you possibly...feel something different for this man? Something other than the want to help him?"

 _Feel something different? Like what!?_ Lucy wanted to voice her questions, but she knew it would probably throw Cana off.

"This man...to get back to his home...he must forget about something very important to him. Something that he has learned to treasure." Cana said staring at the ball as the smoke began to clear within it. "That is all I can tell."

"H-how d-did..." Lucy was at a loss for words. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as they stared into Cana's with disbelief. There was no way she could have made that up on the spot. It was all too accurate!

Cana smiled once again as she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "Remember sweetheart, just because society thinks that something isn't true, doesn't mean that it isn't." She then reached under the table and pulled out a bottle. She drank big gulps of some of it's contents before setting it down again. Lucy could get a faint whiff of the smell and knew it was alcohol.

"I-I just...can't believe it." Lucy stammered. She was never one to believe in witchcraft or anything of the sort, so to find out that it might actually exist was like a shot to the brain.

"Welp, first session's free, so you can take your leave now." Cana said in a laid back way. Her expression then softened. "I hope I was able to help. Come back anytime ya like, Lucy."

"Yes...thank you, Cana." Lucy said as she got up and left the shop, stumbling a bit.

On her way back home, she couldn't help but think over the last words that Cana said to her.

 _"...he must forget something very important to him. Something that he has learned to treasure."_

What could that mean?

 **Hello everybody! I really hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you all so much for your regards on my illness. It was so heartwarming and I hope that you are all doing fine as well. If you are sick too, don't be down, just believe you'll get better again! Anyway, if you would like to review on this chapter,it would be highly appreciated, though not required whatsoever.**

 **And I also hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever they are! See you guys next time!**


	11. New Dynamic

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Lucy and Natsu were sitting at one of the kotastus, having their dinner. The feeling of Lucy's eyes weighed heavily on Natsu, and he wondered if he should lift his head to meet her gaze, or ignore it. Would it be rude of him to ignore it? Or was she trying to get his attention and didn't know how to do it? The last one seemed less probable, considering that Lucy was usually vocal about everything.

Natsu decided that he would lift his head, but once he met Lucy's gaze, she tore her eyes away in an instant. Natsu raised an eyebrow, and now debated whether to question it or not. Again, he wondered if he would offend her in any way by gaining her attention.

"Miss Lucy?" Natsu asked. Lucy snapped her gaze to meet him, looking slightly relieved since she didn't want to stare at the table so long. "Is something the matter?"

"Oh...no, I think that I am alright." Lucy replied, waving her hands in front of her face.

"Are you sure, Miss Lucy? You have been looking very pensive as of late."

"Is that so? I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"It is anything that concerns me?" Natsu asked. Lucy ducked her head a little and took another bite of her vegetable soba, not knowing how to answer. "I'm sorry, Miss Lucy. I do not mean to pry." Natsu said as he obediently went back to eating his ramen. Lucy raised her head when he wasn't looking. She wanted to say something to him, but her words just kept getting caught in her throat. They ate the rest of their dinner in silence.

* * *

Natsu had finished up his bath for the day and exited the bathroom. He saw Lucy sitting on the bed, brushing her long golden locks before putting them in a ponytail. He took his seat right next to her bed and got in his default sleeping position sitting up. He could feel Lucy's eyes on him, and the feeling didn't particularly make him uncomfortable.

"Natsu," he heard her say from behind him. "I'm sorry."

"For what, milady?" Natsu asked as he turned to face her.

"For how I acted at dinner. I didn't mean to sound rude." Lucy said as she laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling.

"There is no need to give apology for something that does not need it, Miss Lucy." Natsu replied simply. Lucy rolled over so she could face him. They ended up being so close that their noses were about three inches away from touching.

For some reason, neither of them too the move to back away.

"You're so understanding, Natsu. It's kind of frustrating." Lucy said. Natsu knew that this was her form of jest, or what she called a "joke", because of her smile. He knew that she was not really frustrated at him.

Natsu smiled back. "My apologies then, Miss Lucy." He said before turning so his back was facing her.

Lucy propped herself on her arms and tapped his shoulder lightly. He turned in an instant, the look in his eyes telling her that he would carry out any order that she asks him for. "You know Natsu, it's pretty uncomfortable on the floor. Would you like to take the bed for a change? I can take the couch in the living room." Lucy offered.

Natsu shook his head immediately. "No Miss Lucy, that would be highly inappropriate. The lady of the house should get the best comfort." He also didn't want to separated from her for the night, but he chose not to mention that in favor of his first reason.

"W-well then," Lucy stammered a little, making Natsu cock his head to the side. "if you want, you could share the bed with me..." Lucy trailed off a little. Natsu's eyes widened. "Please? I mean, it's not like we're going to do anything, and...I trust you, Natsu." Natsu could feel his heart beat faster. "It would relieve some of the guilt I have for making you sleep on the floor." Lucy said, turning away from him a little to hide her flustered face.

Natsu didn't know what to do. He wanted to kindly decline her generous offer because it was improper for him to sleep in a lady's bed. But that might make her think that he doesn't like her, which is as far away from the truth as she could get. There was also the fact that she said that she felt guilty, and he didn't want her to feel even more guilty, even though he didn't know why she felt that way.

When Natsu didn't respond, Lucy knew that he had declined her offer. "U-um, never mind. Forget I said-" She then felt the bed sag underneath a newfound weight. Lucy's eyes widened as Natsu slipped himself under the covers like he had seen her do many times before. Once he got into bed, he just stared up at the ceiling. Lucy moved over to the other side of the bed to give him some space. "You can take that side, I'll take this one." Lucy said as she shut off the light and laid down on the opposite side.

"Thank you, Miss Lucy." Lucy heard him say next to her. "I do not know how to repay you for your kindness."

"You don't have to Natsu, that's the beauty of friendship. Good night." Lucy said before closing her eyes.

Natsu watched as her breathing slowed, knowing that she wasn't quite asleep yet, but she was in the middle of consciousness and unconsciousness.

 _Beauty of friendship?_ Natsu questioned to himself before smiling. _I like the sound of that._

He looked over at her one last time before closing his eyes, letting sleep take over and guiltily relishing in the warmth of his house mate's bed.

"Thank you..." He whispered, his eyes still closed. "...Lucy."

* * *

When the first ray of sun entered the room the next morning, Natsu opened his eyes. He hadn't slept as well as he had, or in that position for that matter, in a while. Sitting up, he looked over at Lucy, who was still sleeping soundly in the bed. They hadn't gotten any closer, and still kept to their respective sides, but Lucy was turned towards him so that he could see her face. He studied her features for a moment, taking in the messy golden hair, the almost-chapped lips that were parted slightly, and the noise that seemed to be twitching ever so slightly, and in a manner that wasn't so ladylike.

Looking at her made him remember something that he learned in his school. It wasn't exactly a school, but it was a basic education class, where he learned how to read and write a little because those two things were valued in Fiorian society. While in his class, he remembered once reading about a man named Shakespeare, or something like that. He wrote a poem for his beloved, stating all the imperfections of her, but in the end telling the reader that he loved her like that anyway. Natsu could relate this to Lucy, because even though she was not society's image of a perfect lady (or at least, where he was from), she was still someone who could be cared for and cherished despite flaws, because that was just how humans were. That was just how _Lucy_ was.

Natsu reached out timidly and brushed a hair that had gotten into her mouth out of her face. He then immediately pulled his hand back, scolding himself for touching a lady without permission. Even if they were close friends now, he still had morals and values that he had to live by. He looked at the sun once again, trying to determine what time it was (he still hasn't gotten used to the clock that is literally right next to him). Deciding that it was about time to get ready for work, Natsu left the bed to take a shower and prep the kitchen before they opened at eleven. Before he entered the bathroom though, he took one last glance at the sleeping Lucy before he forced himself to turn away.

* * *

"Good morning, Natsu!" Lucy chirped as she entered the kitchen after he had started to prep some fish.

"Ah, good morning, Miss Lucy." Natsu acknowledged.

"Did you have a good rest?" Lucy asked.

"Yes, I did indeed. Your bed was the most comfortable thing I have slept on in my life. I give you my thanks." Natsu said as he bowed. Lucy rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead.

"Oh, none of that." She reprimanded lightly. "Get to work." Natsu smiled at her as she left to get ingredients from the cold storage. He couldn't explain the pull that he had towards her, but it was an unconscious feeling, as common as eating and drinking. He felt a similar connection to his brother, who he cherished above everyone else in the world. This bond between them could be just the bond of attachment and strong friendship, both of which are very common in his life.

"Good morning Natsu." A voice said from behind him.

"Good morning Ms. Yukino." Natsu said as he turned around to face her. Yukino's stomach had swelled a lot since he had first come, and he knew that it was about time for her to give birth. "How have you been?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, I've been great! I felt Feng kick yesterday!" She squealed. Her soon-to-be son, fondly named Finnegan or Feng, had been doing that a lot lately, but Yukino couldn't help but feel her heart race over and over every time.

"I am so happy for you. I hope your upcoming delivery is a success." Natsu said.

"Yes, but that means that I will have to leave here for the time being." Yukino said, heaving a heavy sigh.

"While that may be true, it is for the benefit of the baby." Natsu replied. Yukino just grinned and nodded as she started to clean some dishes left over.

"So, how are you and Lucy getting along?" Yukino asked. While the same sweetness was still in her voice, Natsu could detect something else in it.

"Getting along? We are getting along just fine. Why would we not be?" Natsu asked with a confused look on his face.

"Oh no reason at all. I just meant how do you like living with her?"

Natsu felt his ears go a little red, but his expression didn't change. "I enjoy living here with Miss Lucy. She is a wonderful hostess." Natsu replied vaguely. Yukino pouted a little bit, looking at his back. She knew that she would not get any answers out of him any time soon.

"But-" She started once again.

"Yukino, I trust that you have finished clearing out all of those dishes?" Lucy asked as she entered the kitchen with her arms crossed. "If you are, it would mean so much to me if you would help me carry in the new shipment." Lucy requested.

"Of course, Lucy." Yukino said as she walked towards the door where Lucy was. "You never let me have any fun." She muttered next to her. Lucy's only response was to pinch the younger girl on the cheek. She then gave a little wink to Natsu, who was slightly confused by the gesture, and left, leaving Natsu alone in the kitchen.

* * *

The dark haired man sat underground behind the rusty bars of the cell. He was sitting calmly, and one might have thought that he was asleep, but he was not. In fact, he had not gotten a wink of sleep in a couple of days. Zeref took deep breaths to try to calm his nerves. It had been four days since he had been brought down there, and there was still no word from Natsu. He was only allowed to relay strategies from where he was, even though he was being fed and treated the same way.

"Lord Spriggan, your meal is here." A voice called from upstairs. Zeref lifted his eyes to where he saw light, slightly squinting to adjust. Through that light, the dark bags under the man's eyes were visible.

"Yes, come in." He ordered softly, watching as boots descended the stairs that led to his cell. To his surprise, it was Makarov carrying his tray of food. The master barely came to visit him because he was so busy with the war taking place. "Master Makarov." Zeref acknowledged, nodding before dropping his head once again.

"Natsu would be disappointed to see you in this state." Makarov stated. Zeref's head shot up at the mention of his brother, and a slight feral glint ran through his eyes. Makarov barely flinched.

"Is there any word on him?" Zeref asked, calming down a little. Makarov shoot his head.

"Not that we are aware of. It is like he vanished." Makarov explained.

Zeref bit his grimy thumb, thinking of all possible outcomes that could have happened to his beloved brother. There was only one person that could truly help him.

"Master..." Zeref started as he inched closer to the bars of the cell. Makarov moved closer too, because it looked like Zeref was going to say something that only he should hear.

"Bring me Cornelia Clive."

 **Well that's the end of that chapter. I really hope you guys enjoyed it and any criticism is accepted because the only way I get better as a writer is when you guys point out my flaws. Trust me, I acknowledge that I have a LOT in my writing, so don't worry about hurting my feelings. Things in my life are pretty hectic, but I'm not very comfortable with sharing them. Buuuuut~, how are all of you doing? Is there something that you are looking forward to later in the week?**

 **Anyway, I hope that everyone is having a fantastic day wherever you are! See you guys next time!**


	12. Find Him

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

The brown-haired woman walked down the dirt road towards the tent that led towards the underground cell, wondering to herself why she was summoned. Her husband was certainly unhappy with her leaving the house at a time of crisis, but she assured him that she would not go outside the village.

She approached the tent in a few quick strides. The guards that were in front of it seemed to avert their eyes before she could blink, which did not come as a surprise to her. These were the kinds of looks that she got from everyone in the village. She entered, not needing the guards' approval to do so.

She walked down the large stone staircase that led her underground, holding a blazing orange torch in her right hand to keep her vision clear. The tunnel downwards was deathly quiet, and she could hear the tiniest dew drop fall from the ceiling a half a mile away from her. Upon reaching her destination, she hung the torch on one of the holders and approached the barred cage.

"My my, Zeref, I knew you liked the darkness, but is this not a bit extreme?" The woman asked, crossing her arms as she looked at the village tactician. Zeref raised his head and scowled, narrowing his eyes.

"I did not summon you to joke around, Cornelia. I have a favor to ask of you." Zeref said as he adjusted the small blanket around his shoulders.

"And what makes you think that I will help you, child?" Cornelia said as she sat herself on the ground, drinking from her bottle that she kept around her waist.

"Because I am the one that makes sure that your husband does not get killed in battle." Zeref's features contorted. "Please refrain from drinking alcohol at a time like this." Zeref demanded.

"By and by..." Cornelia sighed as she strapped the bottle back onto her waist. "Now Spriggan, what can I do for you?" She asked.

"Do not refer to me with such disrespect." Zeref bit out, but then calmed himself. "I want you to find him." He said softly.

"Ah, Natsu, am I wrong? How can you be so sure that I can find him?" Cornelia asked. She knew that Zeref was getting fed up with her behavior, because she knew why Zeref thought that she could find Natsu. Even though she was not experienced enough in tracking other people, she was the only one who could cover a wide range of area.

"It would make your reputation bad as a shaman if you could not even locate one person." Zeref challenged.

"Oh dear Zeref, you forget to acknowledge that I am the only shaman in the village, and one of the last few in the world now. Reputation means nothing to me. It is not like I have a very good reputation with the people anyway." She said proudly, even the last part. "As far as your request..." Cornelia said as she straightened her posture and a smile adorned her face. "I would be happy to help. Natsu has helped me on so many occasions. It would bring great joy to my heart if he returned home safely."

Zeref nodded, and then bowed his head. "Thank you." He said.

Cornelia let out a loud laugh. "It is not often you see Lord Spriggan bowing to anyone. Raise your head, boy. There is not need to thank me." Zeref did what she asked and nodded to her.

"Give my regards to the marshal for me." Zeref said stoically as he went back into a meditating position.

"Oh, I will make sure to deliver it to Gildarts. He has been wondering how you have been doing." Cornelia said before exiting the cell.

 _I will find you soon, dear brother._ Zeref thought as he clutched the only thing keeping him sane: Natsu's sword. _That is a promise._

* * *

The fresh breeze of the late-February afternoon swiftly made its way through the streets of Magnolia. Many people were outside, relishing in the steam coming from their hot chocolate or taking a leisurely stroll in the park.

Natsu was taking a break at this time, like he usually did. He seemed to have taken an interest in his hostess's phone, which he had been introduced to a week prior. A simple touch would open a new screen, and Natsu could not be more amazed. He was just playing around with all the buttons in fascination, but was not doing anything significant. Having all that ability with just the tip of his finger made him feel like a king, but he knew that he would always be the soldier, no matter what.

His skill level had not waned since he had been living with Lucy, training almost every day to not only improve his skills, but also to keep up his "normal" exercise. Lucy didn't really let him go out on his own much, unless it was into the woods where he knew his way around, because she was afraid that he would get lost or something of the sort. Natsu reassured her, but respected her decision since she had been living in the world they were in longer than he had, so she would obviously know more about it.

Suddenly, the bright device in his hand started to shake. Startled, Natsu almost dropped the phone on the floor, but he caught before touching the ground without a problem. He then held the phone to his chest, glad that nothing belonged to Lucy was damaged because of him. He then looked at the phone strangely, trying to figure out why it was shaking in such a way.

"Miss Lucy?" Natsu called, knowing that she could hear him.

"Yes, Natsu?" Lucy replied. Natsu inched towards the door leading to the restaurant, making sure to lock it behind him when he exited. He then made his way to the kitchen where Lucy was expecting him, the vibrating phone still in his hand.

"I think that there is a problem with this...device. It seems to be shaking." Natsu said as he held the phone up. Lucy immediately dropped her knife and went over towards him before the vibrating stopped. She took the phone from him carefully, looking down to see the caller ID. Surprisingly, it was Cana.

"Hang on a second, Natsu." Lucy said before answering the phone. "Hello?" There she went again, talking with the device up against her ear. Natsu had seen her do the same when she was talking to her brother, but he didn't understand how it was done. How could you speak into something at one place, and then have another person hear you miles away?

 _"Lucy, it's me, Cana._ _"_ The voice on the other line said. With Natsu's sensitive hearing, he could pick up her voice.

"Oh, hi Cana. What's up? I'm sorry, I can't talk for too long, I'm in the middle of work." She said, looking at Yukino who was finishing up one of her dishes.

 _"This is important. I think I might have found a way to send your friend back to wherever he came from."_ Natsu's eyes widened. Who was this person, and how did she know that he had to be sent back to his own time? Obviously Lucy must have told her, but...that means that he would have to leave the life he had now behind.

"What!? Are you serious?" Lucy asked as she held the phone closer to her ear, trying to clarify that her ears weren't deceiving her.

 _"One hundred percent. Are you free tonight?"_ Cana asked.

"Um...yeah, I'll just close up shop early." Lucy said.

 _"Okay, meet me in Magnolia Forest at 7:30."_

"Sure thing. Thank you so much Cana!" Lucy said before shutting off her phone. Natsu was in such a daze that he didn't notice Lucy dragging him out of the kitchen until he was actually outside. She then gave him a gigantic bear hug. "Natsu, you're going to go back home! You're going to see your family again." Lucy said as a few tears leaked out of her eyes. The first three that did had different meanings. One was from happiness, one was from sadness, and one was from worry. She was worried about how both of their lives would change once he was gone. He had probably been missing for about two and a half months now, so everyone in his village must have been going berserk looking for him. She wondered how they would react to Natsu's sudden appearance.

Natsu's thumbs unconsciously brushed her cheeks away while cupping her face. His heart stung seeing those tears, but his pulse was also pumping loudly in his ears, as if someone was beating on a drum. He was going to see his family again, and he would be able to protect his village, and his life would go back to normal. But that meant, he would never see Lucy ever again, because she was from a different time. While trying to console her, he was also trying to console his own heart. If it was going to be their last day together, then he would make sure that he did what she always wanted him to do.

For the first time since Natsu became a warrior, he started to sob silently.

 **There goes another chapter for all of you beautiful people out there. I'm so sorry that I am barely meeting my deadline (which is to update at most two weeks after I updated the last one, for future reference), but I have been so busy, and I know that a lot of you can understand me. I'm taking four weighted classes this year, and I just finished mid-terms. ANyway, I'm not going to bombard you guys with excuses, so let me just say that I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **And as always, I hope that everyone is having a beautiful day or night wherever they are! See you guys next time!**


	13. Goodbye

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

When Natsu finished his dish at seven o'clock, he knew that it would be his last. His hands shakily reached for the sink, turning on the water and hesitantly washing off all the remains of fish from his knife. It took him a little while, and he was careful to make the knife look as new as could be. When he finished, he dried his hands and laid the knife on his cutting board before gripping the counter with both of his hands.

"Natsu, are you alright?" Yukino asked as she looked at Natsu's state. His face was a little paler than usual, and everything about him screamed worried. She hadn't seen his muscles so tense and his eyes so alert since she first met him a little over two months ago.

Natsu looked up at her and gave her the best and most convincing smile that he could. "Yes, thank you, Miss Yukino." He said. Yukino looked at him skeptically, but decided to let it pass, since whatever he was thinking was his business.

Lucy worriedly looked over at him. He did not meet her gaze.

"Well, since we are done closing up shop, I will take my leave. I have a doctor's appointment early tomorrow morning." Yukino said as she put her utensils away and went towards the exit.

"Miss Yukino!" Natsu called. Yukino jumped a little bit, because she had never heard Natsu say anything so urgently before. She turned and smiled at him, only to see that he was only a little ways from her. Before she could say anything, Natsu gave her a gentle hug, making sure not to crush her stomach. "I wish you and the baby good health always. Have a safe trip home." He said sincerely. Yukino was confused, but she hugged back anyway.

"Um...thanks Natsu." Yukino said as she broke the hug and Natsu backed off. "I'll see the two of you soon." She said as she waved and went out the door. Natsu turned to Lucy, only to see that she was trying to hold her tears from falling down her face.

Natsu moved to her and put a hand on her head, making her look at him. "Do not be sad, Miss Lucy. I will always remember you, even if we are four centuries apart." Lucy just nodded.

"Come, it is almost time to go." She sniffed as she exited the kitchen. Natsu moved to follow her, but not before taking one last look at the kitchen before him. He remembered when Lucy first employed him to work here, when he said that he would do anything to make up for the debt he owed her for her kindness. In exchange, she gave him something that was in his favor, and he ended up not paying off anything at all. His heart started to beat painfully in his chest as he remembered how kindly she took him in and healed him, how patient she was when he didn't understand anything around him, how much love she gave him, the feeling only given to him by his brother, just not in the same way.

He turned his vision away from the kitchen as well and followed after Lucy.

* * *

The walk over to Magnolia Forest was silent and slightly uncomfortable. Lucy wanted nothing more than to tell him that he didn't have to leave, that she would be so lonely without him, but she couldn't. Was it selflessness? No, as much as she wanted it to be, it wasn't. The conclusion that Lucy came to was fear. She was afraid to tell Natsu that, and was also afraid what he would think of her afterwards. She usually never let what other people say bother, since her father said many discouraging things in her youth. But somehow, she cared about Natsu's opinion of her, and she _wanted_ him to think well of her.

That is why she kept her mouth shut.

Natsu was dressed in the same clothes he was in when he left with her sword strapped to his back. Since she had no use of it, she wanted him to take it with him. It was an old sword, but not so old that it could have been made back in Natsu's time. Even if someone in his age was to touch it, there would be no side effect considering that the same sword was not created yet in their time. At least, that was her logic.

In one of the clearings of Magnolia Forest, the brown-haired woman stood, holding a few cards in her hands. At the sound of footsteps, she turned her head, smiling at the sight of them. The pink-haired man must have been the one she was supposed to send back.

Earlier that day, she had been just lounging in her shop as she usually did after played a few magic tricks on the kids who came by. That was when she started to feel a dizzy spell envelope her. She immediately turned to her crystal ball, which seemed to be fogging up without her power controlling it. There was only one way this could happen.

A spirit was trying to contact her.

She placed both of her hands on the crystal ball and closed her eyes, trying to soak in the message of what one of those of the afterlife were trying to tell her. Though the voice was raspy, she could faintly hear someone say something about the past and sending someone back. She snapped her eyes open and fell back into her chair. She knew that the blonde girl Lucy had shown up and had a problem that revolved around something out the sort. She quickly got out her cell phone and called her, hoping that she could find the answer to the problem at hand.

"Hey, Lucy!" Cana called as she motioned them towards her. Natsu stared at her and made no attempt to move. That was when Lucy put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, she's a friend." She said comfortingly before leading him towards her. "Hi Cana." Lucy said. Her voice wasn't as strong as she wanted it to be.

"Well, we didn't come out here to make idle chat. We're here to send you," she pointed to Natsu. "home."

"How did you figure it out Cana? I thought it would be impossible." Lucy asked.

"Apparently one of my ancestors from his time has been searching for him. They're all very worried about you." Cana replied as she directed her last statement to Natsu. A person who could speak to the future? It had to be none other than Cornelia, Gildarts's wife. Now that Natsu looked at her, Cana looked strikingly similar to Cornelia, but it was just the eye color that made them different. Does that mean that this woman was a shaman as well? "Hold this Natsu, and think of where you want to go. Keep your focus now." Cana said as she handed him a black card. Natsu held it and did as she told him. "I need to talk to you Lucy." Cana said as she motioned her away from Natsu. Lucy followed her obediently, leaving Natsu in the same spot to meditate.

"What is it Cana? Is something wrong?" Lucy asked. Cana shook her head.

"Not with me, I should be asking _you_ that." Cana said. Lucy rose an eyebrow. "I can tell how much you care for him." Lucy blushed a deep crimson. Cana sighed. "You like him, don't you?" Cana asked. There was practically steam coming out of Lucy's ears now.

"N-no! I-I mean yes...as a friend though!" Lucy exclaimed quickly.

"Really?" Cana asked with a questioning look. Lucy turned back to Natsu, before facing Cana once more.

"...I honestly don't know." She said. Cana sighed once more.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that once I send him back, I can't reopen the portal." Lucy dropped her head and her hair shaded her eyes. She had a hunch that something like that was the case, but that was just making it harder on her. "The amount of energy it takes to send someone into the future or past takes a lot out of a person. Whoever sent Natsu here must have had a good reason because now they won't be able to manipulate time anymore."

"Why are you telling me this?" Lucy asked.

"I just wanted you to know that if there is anything you want to get off your chest, now is the time to say it, even if you embarrass yourself. Remember when I told you that there would be a side effect to sending him back?" Lucy nodded. Cana crossed her arms. "Well, based on how you two interact, he cares a lot for you too. What I'm trying to say is...when he goes back to the past...he isn't going to remember _you._ _You_ are the person he has come to treasure, so he must forget you. If I was stronger, this wouldn't have been a problem, but with the power I have now, I cannot do anymore." Lucy's tears were free falling now, but she refused to let out the loud wails she was keeping in for fear that Natsu would break his concentration. "I'm so sorry, Lucy." Cana said as she held her shoulders.

"I-It's okay." Lucy choked as she tried to fake a smile. "It-It's probably better this way anyway. I mean," She hiccuped. "it's not like having memories of the future would benefit him anyway. It would probably cause some paradox shit or something..." Lucy said as she let out a few quiet sobs. Can could do nothing but watch as she rubbed the girl's shoulders. "It's n-not like he could send me le-letters anyway. I-I mean, w-we're from two different times."

"That's why I'm telling you. If you have anything you need to say to him, now's the time to say it." Cana cooed soothingly. Lucy took a few deep breaths to calm herself before wiping her tears onto her kimono.

Then there was a flash from behind them, and a elliptical-shaped void appeared in front of Natsu. He did not make a sound, but he looked straight into her eyes, waiting for her to come to him. And she did just that.

"I guess...this is where we say goodbye." Lucy said as she stood in front of Natsu, looking at the portal which looked like a suction cup of colors.

"It seems to be so." Natsu said, not taking his eyes off of her. "I will miss you, Miss Lucy." Natsu said as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his torso. He felt Lucy nuzzle her head into his chest, and that same warm feeling that she always gave him came back. He heard her sniffle, and he just drew her closer.

"I'll miss you too." She said before leaning back a little to look at his face. "M-make sure that you stay strong fighting this war. And make sure not to die." Lucy said. Natsu nodded.

"I will try my absolute hardest to honor that request." Natsu said. Natsu looked at the portal as it started to shrink. "It looks like I must leave now." Lucy nodded as she looked over at Cana, who was hunched over and muttering a few incantations. Unbeknownst to both of them, the portal should have already been almost closed by now, but Cana was using every bit of her magical power to keep it open.

"Okay." Lucy said as she released Natsu from the hug. "Goodbye Natsu, I will never forget you." Lucy said as she back away from the portal.

Natsu smiled. "Every time I look at this sword you have given me, I shall remember you as well." Natsu said as he stepped closer towards the portal. "Goodbye, Lucy." He said as a lone tear ran down his face.

Lucy sobbed as she heard him say her name for the first time, and there was a gaping hole in her heart of something that was left unsaid. Lucy looked up at Natsu, but he was already in the portal. "Natsu!" She called out to him, he turned around to look at her. "Natsu, I l-" but before she could finish her sentence, the portal enveloped him, disappearing from sight, along with Natsu.

Natsu was gone.

Lucy openly sobbed now. She screamed out into the night in agony as she fell to the forest floor and hid her face in her hands. Cana got up weakly and limped over to Lucy, dropping to her knees beside her and picking her top half in her arms. She let Lucy cry into her chest as she pet her head. She also shed a tear for the woman she had known for less than two weeks. She couldn't imagine the pain that she was going through.

* * *

When Natsu opened his eyes once again, he was in the middle of a forest. He remembered being in this exact same situation before, but no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't conclude a time. His surroundings looked relatively familiar, nothing was broken, and there was a sword strapped to his back. If anything, this felt normal.

Natsu chastised himself for falling asleep when he was in the middle of protecting the village, or at least falling unconscious. He checked his surrounding to see if there were any enemies before making his way back to the village, using the north star as guidance.

When he arrived back home, it was already almost dawn. He emotionlessly made his way to the gates, where two guards were. One of them being his comrade, Gray. Gray seemed the same as always, but Natsu could tell even in dim light that he was much paler, and he looked weaker from when he last saw him. Maybe he was in a battle and the look was just that of exhaustion. As Natsu came closer, both guards snapped their heads towards them, ready to attack if there was an intruder. When they saw a familiar face that had been wiped off the face of the earth for as long as three months now, they were beyond shocked.

Gray was the first to approach Natsu. His eyes were wide, making Natsu internally raise an eyebrow. Warriors were taught to never show emotion, and Gray was one of the best at that. Something must had been terribly wrong to make him use that expression. "Natsu?" Gray asked.

"Yes Gray, what is the matter?" Natsu asked. Natsu could see Gray take in a heavy breath to calm himself.

"What do you mean 'what is the matter'?" Gray bit out. Natsu almost flinched back from his cold tone. "You have been gone for _months_ now, with no authorization to leave. Where the devil have you been? Everyone in the village thinks you are dead." Gray said.

"I shall inform the Master." The other guard said as he disappeared into the village.

Natsu looked at Gray with a confused face, now that there was no one around them. "What do you mean, Gray? I have not been gone for months. I saw you just this morning before going into battle." Natsu explained.

Gray shook his head. "No Natsu, you have been missing for very long. Your brother almost teared down the village because of you." Gray said. Natsu looked down at the ground. It could not be possible, could it? However, Natsu knew that if Gray was indeed telling the truth, then the fact about Zeref would sound as accurate as could be. "We should get you inside. Perhaps the Master will know what happened." Gray said as he motioned Natsu towards the village. Natsu just nodded and left in that direction. "Wait, Natsu!"

Natsu turned to face him. "Yes Gray?"

"That sword, where did you get it?" Where did he get it? He has always had it, of course. He reached behind him and gripped his sword, immediately noticing that the handle was different from his usual sword. "Well?" Gray asked again.

Natsu turned to look Gray dead in the eye.

"I do not know."

 **Whew, back to back chapters. I feel so proud of myself! I just came back from being at the gym for two hours so I'm tired as hell. I was sitting in bed and just like "you know what, maybe I should work on my story." And that is how this came up. Also, there has been a lot of misconception that this is the end of the story. However, I assure you that there is a lot of the story left! There are a lot of ideas circulating through my brain, but trust me, I know how I want this story to go, and let me tell you, it is far from over. I hope you guys liked this chapter, or didn't because they were separated :(**

 **Anyway, I hope that all of you are having an absolutely fantastic day wherever you are! See you guys soon!**


	14. Aftermath

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Lucy opened her eyes a bit later than usual on Saturday morning, and couldn't help but feel a cold chill run down her spine, even though she was wrapped tightly in blankets. The loneliness of her house still bothered her, and her heart felt nothing more than sorrow and dread.

It had been a little more than three weeks since Natsu had left, and things started to return back to the way they were before he came around. But the feeling she got was completely different. Before, she didn't mind the silence in her house. She convinced herself that she was content just living alone without having to burden anyone else, and the one thing she would have to focus on would be her job. After Natsu came, she started to see more in people, good and bad. Natsu's ignorance and naivety made her reflect on her own life, and society in general.

Now she found herself wishing that there were more people like Natsu. People who would be good listeners and not have a separate agenda, people who cherished and respected others who were not familiar to them, not based on wealth, but based on kindness and love. Lucy didn't believe that she would ever see the world the same again.

Yukino wasn't with her anymore because she was having maternity leave, which made her pain all the more unbearable. It wasn't like she could talk about her situation with Natsu to her, but at least she would know that someone was there for her. She knew she had her mother and brother, but they are focused on their lives right now, and she didn't believe that they had time to bother with her. Lucy wanted to scream, cry, and whine like the little brat that she knew she was, but what good would that do her?

It wouldn't bring Natsu back.

Everything in Lucy's life just seemed to be falling apart. And now, with her restaurant gaining popularity, it would be hard managing everything by herself. It was a good distraction, though. It would keep the pain out of her heart and her mind on her work for the time being. Said mind kept relaying the last moments she had with Natsu over and over again. The worst part was that she did not even know how she was going to end her last sentence. The words just somehow flew out of her mouth, without her thinking about them. They didn't sound like they were coming from her mind, but somewhere else. _My heart, maybe?_ Lucy scowled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. _How much more cliche can I get?_

Lucy prepared her kitchen, almost in a robot-like fashion. Her face neither held sadness nor excitement. Like a zombie with a metal pole for a spine walking aimlessly through the night, just waiting for something to happen. However, when you are dead, what do you expect to happen? That would imply that joy came from living, but why was living so great? Lucy definitely did not want to die, and she knew the people she would affect if she did, yet she couldn't help but feel like that walking corpse. She did not expect anything else to happen.

Lucy shook her head to bring her out of her unfocused state. She would just have to live with the fact that Natsu was gone, and he wasn't coming back.

"Chef! We need two Hosomaki specials and a bowl of miso ramen!" One of the waiters said from the counter that led to the kitchen.

"On it's way!" Lucy responded as she tied up her hair and got to work.

* * *

"I must say, this restaurant is turning out to be one of the finest in Fiore." An old woman said gleefully as Lucy stood at her side. Lucy smiled thankfully down at her. The woman had asked her waiter to see Lucy to give her that review. Since it was much past lunch time, the woman was the last in the restaurant. Lucy thought that she would feel lonely being the only person there, but the woman seemed unaffected.

"Thank you so much ma'am. I am glad that it was to your satisfaction." Lucy said as she bowed. The woman put her hands up to stop her action.

"Oh, no thanks needed, child. I am the one that is to be thankful." The woman said as she paid the bill and got up. Lucy, who was already standing up, retrieved her cane from the ground and carefully handed it to her. "Thank you." The woman said cheerily once again. "Would you mind walking me to the door?" The woman asked, knowing that she would not have any more plates to make, considering she was the only one there.

"Of course, ma'am." Lucy said as she helped the woman stand up and slowly glided her towards the door.

"There is one critique that I would like to make, child, if I may say so." The woman said just as they reached the door.

"Anything that will make my food better will be beneficial. I urge you to speak your mind, if you please." Lucy said as she opened the door for the woman.

"Oh, how polite! I wish my son was like you." The woman laughed as she walked out the door. She then turned around to face Lucy and give her a big smile, one that made her already tiny eyes squint. "I think you should throw in some more sweet cabbage, maybe that will help." The woman said as she bowed. "Have a good day."

"Um...you as well." Lucy replied before she closed her door.

Sweet cabbage? That would only take a bit of the salty taste away, wouldn't it? No, she guessed that she could put some sweet cabbage in her miso, but too much would ruin the taste. The fact of the matter was that the woman ordered sushi, so how did sweet cabbage fit into that? Lucy disregarded her confused thoughts. Perhaps the woman just liked sweet cabbage, and it was a personal preference. But by the way she initiated that sentence, it was almost as if she meant something completely different.

* * *

Cheers filled the streets of the village as many of its inhabitants met in front of the central bonfire. People played music and danced and everything was much more bright and colorful than the last six months have been since they had started the war.

Surrounding the people on the outskirts were the warriors, all kneeling down and looking at the celebration with blank faces. However, they were happy as well. They all felt a sense of pride in their heart for their accomplishments, even though they knew that the war was far from over.

"Hear ye! The Master shall speak!" A loud voice boomed over the rest. Once Gildarts had taken his seat again, Master Makarov, with his tiny body, stood up on a podium that made him visible to most of the townspeople.

"Settle down, settle down." He said to try to calm his audience. "I am pleased to announce that we were able to drive the Alvarez army back to their own territory!" Many cheers erupted from the crowd. "Though they have not been defeated, they have been forced to retreat. The only people we can thank are our brave warriors who have fought in battle! People of Magnolia! A toast!" He said as he raised his glass. "To the brave warriors of Fiore!"

"To the brave warriors of Fiore!" Everyone repeated with their glasses raised as well.

"Rise, all of you." Makarov commanded, looking at his soldiers. Everyone stood without complaint, paying full attention to their master. "You have triumphed greatly today. I hope that you enjoy yourselves at this celebration. You are the ones to thank most for this great feat." The master bowed to them. "The rest of the village and I are greatly appreciative." He then stood again. "Now, without further ado, let the celebration commence!" The villagers cheered, and if you squinted, you could almost see the shoulders of the warriors relax, but just a little.

Natsu felt a metal hand on his shoulder. "Very well done, Natsu. It is good to have you back with us." The woman said. It was none other than Natsu's good friend, and the only woman on the regime, Erza Scarlet. Natsu nodded and the red-headed beauty went to join Laxus to discuss some things.

Natsu stayed frozen where he was, not wanting to move at the moment. It was hard to believe that they had claimed victory over Alvarez, even if it was only for a short time. Alvarez was known to have an abundance of shaman and mages, while Fiore was down to their last few. Cornelia was the only shaman within reach of Magnolia if something concerning magic were to happen.

He then felt someone take his hand. He looked up to find his brother, who had a small smile on his face. He remembered a few weeks ago when Zeref looked so broken, in a dungeon below the village. Natsu never found the answer as to why he was there. Frankly, Natsu did not know the answer to many things. He just remembered walking into Magnolia after a long battle and then everyone jumping him, asking him where he had been all this time. His own brother looked like he didn't even believe that he was alive.

 _Natsu was led by Gray and Gildarts down to the cellar below the village. After he entered, everyone in the village stood still, but in the next moment, they surrounded him. Asking all kinds of weird questions that would make one believe that he was gone for months, maybe years. Even Gildarts, a man known for not showing emotion, looked surprised. If one thought that the regular warriors were stoic, they had not seen the extent of Gildarts's disposition._

 _Confused as to what was going on, he consulted the larger man, but he was immediately whisked away and led elsewhere, with Gray following close behind. That was how he ended up about fifteen feet below the ground._

 _Gildarts led him straight to one of the cages, where he saw his brother in a meditative position with a quill, ink, and a piece of paper in front of him, his usual materials when he was strategizing. Next to him laid Natsu's sword, which made Natsu confused as to why he had it._

 _"Whoever it is, please come back later, I am in the middle of an important decision right now." Zeref said without opening his eyes._

 _"I believe that you will find this situation to be more important." Gildarts said as he pushed Natsu forward a bit. Zeref opened his eyes irritably, but once he saw Natsu, his expression morphed into one of pure shock and disbelief._

 _"Hello brother." Natsu greeted, his eyes softening to his brother whom was obviously stressed out about something. "How did this predicament befall you, brother?" Natsu said as he kneeled on the other side of the cell to look his brother straight in the eye, which was starting to become glossy because of tears. Zeref tried to formulate words, but all that came out were heavy sobs. Natsu clenched his fist as he turned towards his commanding officer. "Why is my brother here? What has he done wrong?" Natsu asked, even though his voice sounded as stoic as always, his eyes were narrowed just enough to be glaring at Gildarts._

 _"Zeref has missed you, Natsu." Gildarts said softly as he turned around a little to face another guard. "Let him out." He ordered. Immediately, the guard went to release Zeref from the cage. Once the door was opened, Zeref shot out like a bolt of lightning and tackled Natsu. Luckily, Natsu had enough balance to keep them both steady. It wasn't uncommon for his brother to cry, for he was not trained as a warrior like he was, but he had never seen Zeref in this state._

 _"What happened, dear brother?" Natsu asked as he patted his brother's back soothingly. Zeref pulled away from Natsu a little to look at him._

 _"I have missed you so much Natsu!" Zeref said through his sobs._

 _"Missed me? I have not been gone for too long." More tears started to spring out of Zeref's eyes._

 _"Three months, brother! Three months, and not a word of your whereabouts! Why did you not write to me? Had someone taken you into captivity? How did you escape them?" Zeref asked quickly. Natsu tightened his grip on Zeref's shoulders._

 _"Calm thyself, Zeref. I have not been gone for more than a day, not three months." Natsu tried to reason. Zeref looked frantically at Gildarts, who looked like he did not have any answers to Natsu's reply either._

 _"I came as soon as I heard he had returned." A new voice said. Natsu turned to find Cornelia coming down the stairs towards them. Zeref turned towards her._

 _"How did you accomplish this, Cornelia?" Zeref asked, referring to his brothers return. Cornelia just shrugged._

 _"I had to use a lot of my magic, and now I am very drained. However, I am happy that Natsu is home safe now." Cornelia said as she smiled._

 _"Lady Cornelia, I do not understand. Why would I not be home safe?" Natsu asked._

 _"What do you mean, boy? You have been gone for so long, everyone thought you were dead." Cornelia said. Natsu allowed his eyes to widen, not expecting that kind of information._

 _"There seems to be a problem, Cornelia. Natsu does not seem to remember anything." Zeref explained. Cornelia walked over to Natsu and looked into his eyes. Natsu stayed incredibly still._

 _"I will try to find the source of the problem. Come with me, Natsu." Cornelia said, and Natsu followed obediently._

To this day, Natsu did not completely understand the problem. It seemed that to everyone else, he had been gone for three months, whereas he remembers it only being a day. No one knows why this is, but Cornelia thinks that it might be a side effect of some magic that was cast upon him.

"Natsu." His brother called out to him. Natsu snapped his head up, giving his brother full attention after realizing that he had been stuck in his own thoughts. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes, I am fine." Natsu said as he drew in a breath. Zeref motioned for them to walk, and they started to walk around the party, with no particular destination. "I must say, Zeref, you were absolutely brilliant in our last battle. Your strategy was flawless." Natsu said. He could see his brother's pale face turn a little pink. He never did do well with praise.

"Well, it was your team that did all of the work. I am so proud of you, little brother." Zeref said as he hugged his brother. Zeref was the only person in Natsu's life who he would accept hugs from, and mostly because he did it a lot.

"As I am proud of you." Natsu replied. This reminded him of the days when they were young and without parents. Two boys with nothing but each other. Truthfully, that was all they needed. But now, they were two of the most respected figures in Magnolia, and even Fiore.

"Zeref!" A man yelled, breaking the two brothers apart. Zeref sighed agitatedly.

"I must see to him, so do not be burdened by my absence. Feel free to walk around. This is your celebration, after all." Zeref advised his brother. Natsu nodded as he watched Zeref walk off, wondering what he was going to do. Deciding to see if there was anything in the village that he could help with, he set off towards the women's house, where all of the food for the celebration was being cooked.

Natsu knocked on the big wooden door, and his short acquaintance came to answer it. "Hello Natsu. What brings you here?" Levy asked.

"I was wondering if there was anything that I could help you with." Natsu politely said.

"Maybe there is. I shall check for you. Please, come inside." Levy said as she ushered him in.

"Mirajane!" Levy called to the woman across the room who was busy washing rice. "Is there any extra work that must be done?"

Mira looked up to see Natsu in the corner of the house with Levy, immediately knowing that the work was meant for him. "Why yes, there is a fish that needs to be cut. The fishermen have made a big catch today." Mira said as she pointed to a large white bass laying on the table next to her, a rare delicacy.

"But it requires a great deal of skill to cut that." Levy mumbled to herself. "I guess I will teach you how to cut it." Levy said as she looked to Natsu, who had just finished washing his hands with a small pot of water that was to the side. She gave him a knife and led him over to the sea bass. "Wait for a moment, Natsu. I must get something." Levy said as she left the room.

Natsu stared down at the fish he was supposed to cut. He had never had any prior cooking experience, but for some reason, staring at a dead fish on a chopping board seemed...natural, as if he had seen it many times before. Without thinking, Natsu picked up his knife and skewered the fish, making even and sharp cuts across its body until perfectly symmetrical fillets were the result.

Mira just stared at his work in awe, wondering where he could have learned such technique. It was unlike anything that she had ever seen before. Levy came in just as Natsu was finished, and her eyes widened to find Natsu already done with the fish.

"You are already done?" Levy questioned. Natsu nodded his head. Levy looked at his work, and was astounded to find perfectly-cut fillets, better than she could ever do. "Did you help him Mira?"

"I did not advise him. He did it all on his own." Mira said smiling.

Levy looked at Natsu and patted him on the shoulder. "Well done, Natsu! Where did you learn how to cut a fish?" Levy asked. Natsu closed his eyes slowly, trying to remember who he learned from. No matter how much he racked his brain, he could not come up with a stable answer.

Just then, a white flash entered his mind, almost making Natsu flinch, even though it wasn't real light.

 _"No Natsu, you have to hold the knife like this. See?_ _"_ He heard a woman ask. The voice was not familiar to him, and he could not remember who it was. However, he was sure of one thing. That woman, whoever it was, was the one to teach him how to cook. However, he felt disgraced to know that he remembered the skill that she taught him and not the woman herself. He did not even remember what she looked like, so he knew that she could not be anyone from the village.

"Natsu?" Levy asked, snapping him out of his daze. He realized that he had been in a lot of those lately. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Miss Levy, everything is fine..." Natsu said softly.

"Well, if you say so." Levy said skeptically as she walked to the wooden board next to Natsu to chop some vegetables. He was fine, he convinced himself. That woman might have been just a delusion of the brain, because he has remembered almost everyone that he had become acquainted with. So, he just decided to try and brush off the thought.

Little did Natsu know that his internal conflict would plague his mind endlessly.

 **Well, that is it for this chapter! I know that nothing completely interesting happened, but I just wanted to give you guys some insight to their lives now that they are separated from each other. Poor Lucy. Not only has she lost Natsu, but Yukino is gone also and she has to manage the restaurant on her own. I feel kind of bad of writing her in this predicament, but I wanted to show how much the loneliness was effecting her.**

 **Thank you all so much for the 20,000 views! I never knew that this story would be so successful, but I am more than appreciative to all of you, so thank you all so much! And a special thanks to all of those who reviewed!**

 **As always, I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever you are. And if you're not, hopefully my story made you feel a little better? Yes? No? Well, I don't want to push it to that extent, but I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll see you all next time!**


	15. Counter

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

 **Also, I wanted to point out that there are a few spoilers to the manga ahead, but nothing that will completely ruin the story, so read at your own discretion, please.**

The clapping sound of heels made their way through the dark hallways of the castle. It was storming that night, and the lightning just seemed to illuminate the grotesque paintings that covered most of the walls. The woman shuddered, but found no reason to argue their value with the man who put it there.

The platinum blonde-haired woman neared the double doors at the end of the hall, guarded by two people who looked to large and beefy to even be human. There was no telling if they were, of course, since they were always wearing their armor and never showed their faces.

"Let me pass, boys. I have business with the lord." The woman addressed them informally. The men stepped aside without saying a word and opened the door for her. She hesitated, despite her confident appearance, but then entered the room, hearing it click shut behind her.

The woman had never been inside the lord's study before, and she was honestly quite annoyed that he had the nerve to call her at such an ungodly hour in the morning. However, it would be suicide for her to disobey a direct order. No matter how much influence she held in the kingdom, it meant nothing when she stood in front of him.

The woman made her way up to the large figure who was standing near the window and watching the rain, his only light coming from the two candles on his table. "You summoned me, my liege?" The woman said as she kneeled before him.

The large man turned around and looked at her, his white hair covering part of his right eye. "Indeed, Dimaria." He said gruffly. "I wanted to discuss with you the evident return of Natsu Dragneel. The one whom I specifically told you to eliminate from this war." Dimaria winced. She knew that he was probably furious at her for not completing what he considered to be a "simple job". She had always thought that this man was ignorant, for he did not know magic like she did.

"Please continue, Lord August, for I am listening." Dimaria said in monotone.

"The outcome of our last battle was no less than disappointing, and since it is a fault that you have to carry, I am designating _you_ to make the next move. Do whatever you think is necessary to ensure our win in this war." August said.

"B-but…should the role of strategist not go to the said man himself? How am I supposed to know how to combat Fiore?" Dimaria asked, stuttering a little bit.

August breathed an aggravated sigh, but kept his voice calm. "Like I said, do whatever you believe is necessary. Though you are not the strongest shaman in Alvarez at this time, your unique power is something that can change the future of this war." August turned back to the window, and Dimaria found herself staring at his long white hair again. "You have less than a week to make progress and to wane the power of Fiore. If you do not give me proper results, then you will be exiled." He said. Dimaria kept silent, her brown eyes focused on the ground. "Dismissed."

"Yes, Lord August." Dimaria said as she left his study. Dimaria breathed a sigh of relief as she got away from the man who was the only one who could elicit any fear out of her. She knew that if she did not do something soon. She would not live long enough to see the war end.

Moments later, the halls were deadly quiet once again.

Dimaria made her way to her chambers on the other side of the castle. She sat herself on her plush bed, one that was not made for those of lower classes. As one of the shamans who were fighting in the war, she got privileges above everyone. That was how she liked it.

However, she was troubled on how she was going to succeed in her conquest. Fiore's forces had obviously gotten a lot stronger. Dimaria bit her lip, wondering what she should do.

As she was fighting on the front lines during their last battle, she saw a face that she was so sure would be gone forever. Natsu Dragneel: the man who she had purposefully manipulated time to send away. Dimaria was not like the other shaman, who, if they had the enormous amount of power needed, could only use time travel spells once.

No. She was Dimaria Cronos Yesta. Reincarnation of the God Cronos and the daughter of Time itself. She could use time travel spells as many times as she pleases without running out of power.

However, she struggled to see how she could use her power again. The fact that August had bestowed such a great responsibility on her made her astonished. However, she knew for a fact that it was not because he trusted her, but he wanted her to prove her worth.

If Natsu Dragneel could come back from whenever he was, so be it. However, Dimaria would make sure she knew _how_ he did it.

As she entered her grand room, she sat at the beautifully carved wooden table that held her crystal ball. It was less of a ball than it was a globe, for it was ginormous. It illuminated her whole room when the candles were not lit. It hovered a bit above the table, as if it defied the laws of gravity, which it practically did (they did not know that law yet though).

Dimaria put her hands on the crystal ball and looked deep within its glassy contents. "Oh Lord Cronos, show me the time where Natsu Dragneel was taken too. Show me how to defeat him!" She yelled, and the crystal ball immediately became shrouded in a blinding light. However, Dimaria made no move to cover her eyes since she was entranced by the images that the crystal was showing her. She saw pain, uncertainty, understanding, and…

Dimaria smirked. She now knew how she was going to defeat them. It went against all of the laws of time, and it was a spell that she had never had the chance to use on someone else, but it must be done.

 _Fiore will fall by my hand!_ Dimaria thought as she chuckled evilly.

* * *

Lucy made her way towards the hospital, ready to see the outcome of her best friend's pregnancy. After a month of being away from work, Lucy missed Yukino dearly. However, she was finally getting the chance to see her after so long, since her baby was born just yesterday afternoon.

She and Sting were riding in her Jeep, since Sting also had a want to visit Rogue to congratulate them. He could feel his palms sweat in his anticipation to see the baby, and he was taking deep, but barely noticeable breaths to calm his nerves. However, Lucy knew her little brother very well, and there was nothing that he could hide from her.

As he slowed down to stop at a stoplight, Lucy put her hand over his on the steering wheel. "You okay, bro?" Lucy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Sting said as he kept his eyes focused on the road. "I just can't believe that my best friend has a _kid_! Back in ninth grade, I thought he was asexual." To be quite honest, Lucy thought that too.

"It's fine, Sting. He had to grow up eventually. I know Mom and Dad are just waiting _desperately_ for you to get married and have children as well." Lucy said as she flashed him a smirk. Sting groaned loudly.

"Aw, give me a break. I already have enough on my plate from work. I don't have time to be in a relationship!" Sting said vehemently.

"Woah, calm down there, tiger. Nobody said you had to get married just yet. But trust me, if I hadn't taken the path of cooking, I would have probably been married right now." Lucy said as she blue one of her golden bangs out of her face. The light turned green, and she felt the wind through her hair once again.

"Speaking of relationships, you have been avoiding my questions about Natsu. Did something happen between the two of you?" Sting said, looking at his sister worriedly.

Lucy shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong, I guess." _No, everything is wrong_. "He just had to go away for a while." _More like forever._ Lucy thought sadly. She wanted to visibly slap herself, but that would make Sting suspicious.

"Are you _sure_ that's all it is? You look really troubled. If anything really happened, just say the word and I'll hunt him down and whop his ass." Sting said, glaring at the road. Lucy laughed loudly.

"I'd like to see you try." She said jokingly. _He is, after all, one of Magnolia's top warriors._

Sting shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just kind of worried, you know? I can't really put my finger on it, but I feel like you're acting different." Lucy could tell what he meant, but rose an eyebrow in his direction anyway. "Like…I feel that you've given up on something, like you do not have your usual disposition." After he said that, she couldn't find her words to reply, and Sting didn't make her.

They arrived at the hospital about ten minutes later, and were immediately led to the room where their two friends were. Along the way, Lucy couldn't help but notice some of the younger nurses stealing glances at Sting and then giggling. Lucy just shrugged it off, trying not to be disgusted. Let girls be girls.

The nurse knocked carefully on the door and waited for a reply before opening it, ushering Lucy and Sting inside, and then closing the door behind her. Lucy looked over towards the bed to see Yukino lying there with a small bundle in her hands and Rogue hovering over her. When Yukino's eyes lifted to meet Lucy's, a smile immediately made its way across her face. Lucy returned the smile with the same amount of radiance.

Sting went up to Rogue and patted him on the shoulder before giving him a hug. Rogue was not one for too much sentiment, but he wrapped his arms around Sting also, overcome with emotions.

"Hey, Yuki." Lucy said softly as she went up to Yukino next to her bed.

"Hi Lucy." Yukino said, her voice a little raw, probably from crying. Even if she had given birth at least ten hours ago, she just couldn't believe that she was finally a mother. "You want to hold him?" Yukino asked as she held out her baby towards Lucy. Through her peripheral vision, she could see Rogue's muscles stiffen, probably unsettled with the fact that someone else other than him or his wife was touching his child. Sting pat him on the shoulder once more.

"Why don't you and me head on down to the cafeteria. There's a lot we should discuss." Sting offered. Rogue glanced warily at Lucy once more before walking out of the room after Sting. Lucy was a little touched.

If it had been anyone else, Rogue would have just refused to even give them his baby.

"Sorry about him. You know how protective he can get." Yukino sighed. Lucy nodded absently as she stared at the baby in her arms, who seemed to be asleep, but was smiling nonetheless. The baby had Rogue's pale skin and from the bristles of hair on top of his head, it seemed that he had black hair too. However, just by looking she could tell that he would have big eyes just like Yukino's, but she was curious to see what color they would be.

"What's his name?" Lucy asked. Yukino smiled lightly.

"In the end, we decided to use something original, and a little out there, since Rogue decided that Ty was too common." Yukino said as she laid her head back on her pillow and closed her eyes. "His name is Eridan." She said finally.

"Eridan?" Lucy asked. That name sounded familiar.

"Yes, short for Eridanus." Oh, that would explain why she had heard of it. It was one of the 88 constellations.

"Why did you name him after the river?" Lucy asked as she rocked him in her arms a couple of times.

"Well, we decided that no matter what, we want him to carry on, just like a river should never stop flowing." Yukino explained.

 _No matter what, carry on?_ Lucy thought as she looked down at him, noticing his smile once again. He definitely inherited his personality from his mother, that's for sure.

"He's so happy…Why's that?" Lucy asked as she carefully handed Eridan back to Yukino and pulled up a chair.

Yukino shrugged gleefully. "Who knows? Maybe it was all that sweet cabbage I ate?" Yukino grinned. Lucy's eyes widened at what she had said.

"I'm sorry…what did you say?" Lucy asked one more time to clarify.

"Uh…I said that maybe I ate too much sweet cabbage? Is everything alright?" Yukino asked as she looked at Lucy weirdly.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. I was just wondering about why you said that. What does sweet cabbage have anything to do with this?" Lucy asked, trying to stop her tone from sounding too demanding or hasty.

"Well, people say that sweet cabbage makes you happy. When you're happy, the people around you are happy by feeding off of your energy." Yukino said.

"Ah…I-I see." Lucy said as she grinned sheepishly. She let the topic drop for later contemplation, and just talked to Yukino about everything and anything, while Sting did the same to Rogue.

* * *

When Lucy returned home, she was immediately greeted with the feeling of solitude. Sting had gone home in his own car, saying that he had a lot of work to catch up on. Lucy just went to her bed and flopped down on it, hitting her foot in the process.

"Ow! Damn!" Lucy screamed as she held her foot to her chest. "How come nothing ever turns out like I want it to?" She cried to no one in particular. Lucy sat up on her bed with her legs hanging off the side. Just the sight of her empty house made her feel sad, which before, would not have bothered her too much. Deciding that it was probably best if she went for a walk to clear her mind, she left her room once again to make her way down the path towards the forest. It was probably a bad place to go, considering that would bring her the most prominent memories of Natsu, which would in turn defeat the purpose of going out for a walk; however, she found some solace in remembering those things, knowing that Natsu would not.

Crossing one of the streams after balancing on a log, Lucy made her way to the middle of the forest, not where the large clearing was, but where the largest cherry blossoms in Magnolia were. She regretted not showing Natsu those, but she also accepted that there was nothing that she was going to be able to do about the matter.

Life to her, was just about accepting that life sucked and would always be unfair.

Making her way to the cherry blossom trees and sitting down, she couldn't help but marvel at their extravagant beauty. They had bloomed into some of the most beautiful flowers she had seen after the long winter. Lucy took one long whiff of the air, relishing in the freshness of the atmosphere. It made her forget some of her worries, and she felt her muscles starting to loosen themselves. Lucy laid her head back and stared up at the blue sky, as if it would help her re-evaluate her life.

Just looking at Eridan made her feel like such a terrible and selfish person. She was just wallowing in self-pity, not wanting to tell anyone because they wouldn't understand. She still didn't have any interest to tell them now, but she had worried so many people with her closed-off attitude. She wanted herself to be a selfless person who could just handle their problems on their own and manage to keep a normal face around other people, but Lucy grew to find out that those people were only in the books she read. Or, if they were in real life, because surely there were, she was not one of them.

So many miracles were happening around her, and she chose to ignore them. Even the very air that she breathed was like a miracle in its own way. She used to contemplate these things before, and now she doesn't.

Lucy knows for a fact that she had grown up, but she didn't exactly know if it was in a good way or bad way. She hoped that it leaned more towards the good side.

Lucy rested her eyes once more, trying to make her mind completely blank, but finding the task harder than it should be. She knew that she should not stay out in the woods for too long, because there were lots of bugs and mosquitoes that came out during the evening in the spring. With one last push of energy, Lucy brought herself off of the ground and stretched before taking a step to move away. However, there was then a gripping pain on her wrist, and it forced her back.

Lucy turned to see an open white portal behind her with an outstretched black hand coming out of hit. As she looked into the void, she could see the outline of two golden circles. They closed themselves momentarily before opening again, almost as if they were eyes.

The hand tugged at her again, and Lucy found herself unable to scream for help. It seemed that whoever was pulling her in was getting tired of her resistance and stuck their other arm out as well, grabbing the back of her neck and dragging her in.

The portal closed not a moment later, leaving no trace of Lucy anywhere.

 **Well, that's it for this chapter! I'm trying to make up for the slowness of the last chapter with a little more action. Now you guys are introduced to Dimaria, who is actually a real character from the manga, so she is** ** _not_** **an OC.**

 **I also hope you enjoyed the little bit of growth that I've been giving Lucy progressively. I hope that it does not seem to repetitive or anything. If it does, do not hesitate to tell me, because I really want to make my story better.**

 **And as always, I hope that everyone reading this message right now is having a fantastic day or night wherever they are! See you guys next time!**


	16. Invasion

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

A group of twenty or so of the best warriors in Magnolia gathered in the battle tent. There was a council meeting held, since everyone was anxious of how they were going to proceed in the war. Laxus was the first to speak.

"I believe that they have tried to invade out land too many times. It is time that we have taken an offensive standpoint." He said, looking to his grandfather for approval. Makarov placed a hand on his chin and closed his eyes, trying to come up with the best solution possible.

"Zeref?" Makarov asked, directing the conversation to him. Zeref also looked pensive, but everyone was relying on him to make a decision. He was surprised that he hasn't been crushed by the pressure put on him yet.

"You may be right Laxus, but we cannot be hasty in these kinds of situations." He said.

"Then what do you propose that we do?" Gildarts asked. Zeref squinted his eyes shut and rubbed them, trying to get some of his frustration out. He then felt a hand on his shoulder, and immediately knew that it was his brother. Zeref turned to face him, but Natsu did not do the same. His hand was just silent reassurance that whatever decision Zeref made, he would support. The hand lifted from his shoulder, awakening a new drive in his brother.

"Alright," Zeref started, his voice becoming firm for once. "it is important that we know the lay of their land before we attack, for we have never brought the fight to their territory. Jet, Droy, I want you two to take ten of your scouts to scope the area. Look for any possible lad features that will give an advantage to us." The two of them nodded stoically and quickly departed. "Gajeel, we know that the Alvarez Empire has a lot of strong shamans, we will need long-rang weapons to combat them." He said. Gajeel quickly took his leave as well. "Laxus, I want you, Natsu, and Gray to head out with the scouts and provide the protection they need. Take Freed with you, so he can record any information he finds on the shamans there. Everyone else is to remain here for the time being. We cannot risk leaving Fiore unprotected." Zeref finished. Everyone agreed with this plan, and even if someone did not, they did not dare to question the great Lord Spriggan, considering his history as a great tactician.

Zeref turned back to face his brother, who stared back into his eyes. He quickly hugged his younger brother, because he knew that he had to depart soon. "Come home safely, alright Natsu?" Zeref pleaded. He could feel Natsu slowly snake his arms around him, and his grip was like a tacit promise that he would.

And with that, the meeting came to a close.

* * *

An unconscious woman's body was thrown into a room, making her land ungracefully on the hard wooden floor. The woman did not stir as she did, and did not sense another woman walk up to her and take her chin within her hands, pressing her fingers into her soft face.

The blonde woman sighed. "What a pretty thing." She said as she harshly forced her face down harshly, making the other woman slightly hit her head. "Too bad you shall have to die eventually. To think, a warrior like the great Natsu Dragneel caring so deeply for you, but now he does not know who you are, does he?" She taunted, even though she knew that the other woman could not hear her.

There was a loud banging sound on the door, and then a large man with messy black hair entered the room with a sinister grin on his face. The blonde could not be sure if he was actually thinking of something sinister or not, because that seemed to be his default face. Even the metal screws that lined his jaw were turned upwards from his sinister grin.

"Good grief, Wahl, would you please take into account that I am a lady and you should not enter without my permission. How absurdly ride of you." The woman said, crossing her arms.

"I knocked, did I not?" The man responded, casually leaning on the door frame (which was not proper for his time). "My my, who, may I ask, is behind you Dimaria?" Wahl asked as he took a step closer. Dimaria immediately took her position in front of the unconscious woman.

"You will not touch her. She is crucial for my plan to bring down Fiore!" Dimaria exclaimed. Wahl backed off with a surprised expression, but then his face morphed back into his dumb grin.

"Bring down Fiore? How does a runt like that have any significance?" Wahl said as he glanced at the woman behind her. "What is she wearing, anyway?" Wahl asked as he motioned towards the clothes that she was wearing. She was wearing a tight long-sleeved blue sweater and a long black skirt that reached her ankles with plain black flats.

"It is not attire that is familiar to my knowledge." Dimaria said as she looked back at Wahl, who had now seemed to have gotten right in front of her face. His menacing eyes peered into hers.

"That means that she is not from around here. Tell me, why is she here?" Wahl said as he tilted his head to the side to give the impression of innocent ignorance, but Dimaria thought that his expression was doing his desired effect: making him look dangerously psychotic.

"That is not for you to know. Now, if you would not mind, please move your face and your odd eyelashes away from me." Dimaria said as she glared at him. Wahl backed off, muttering a few curses towards her and about how his eyelashes were not weird. Just because they stuck out to the side of his eyes instead of above him, it didn't make him any less odd than the woman in question.

Dimaria payed no mind to the man and just heaved a heavy sigh. "It will not peg any matter to whether I tell you why she is here or not, yet it will be a waste of breath, so I have decided the latter." Dimaria said.

"We are not partners for absolutely nothing, Dimaria. Everything you do, I do as well, and it goes the same the other way around. Now tell me, witch," Wahl said as he held a giant metal sword to her neck. "why is the girl here?"

Dimaria was unaffected by the cold edge of the weapon being held to her skin with a blank expression, because the spirits know how many times he had threatened her before. However, after a few moments of quietly mulling over her options, she looked the man straight in the eyes and smirked. Perhaps her counterpart knowing about her plan could prove useful.

Lucy started to stir.

* * *

Soft footsteps made their way through the forest at the dead of night. The warriors had finally completed their three day journey to the Alvarez Kingdom, hopefully undetected. If there was anything that the Fiorian warriors knew about the Alvarez Kingdom, is that they were prideful and arrogant. If they had been seen, they would have known already. The Alvarezians find no need to report back to their king and stage an attack. They were so sure of their power that they would just charge in to any given situation.

Natsu had hoped that would be their downfall.

Jet and Droy had gone on ahead of them, trying to find any significant vantage points that they could use. Their little squad was not too far behind them, their hands on their swords. Their main goal was to protect those two until they could successfully map most of the area, but it was important that their team of six scouts did not travel closely to Natsu's group, for their safety. To Natsu's right was Gray, in the same prowling position that he was in, and in front of him- Laxus, who was leading the group.

Laxus suddenly put up his hand to stop the other two. Natsu and Gray stopped immediately, not questioning any of their captain's actions.

"We are almost to the castle. I find it fruitless to tell the two of you to do whatever needs to be done to ensure that Jet and Droy are safe, but I would like for you to remember to be extra cautious. This enemy is nothing that our academy could have ever trained you for, with their large army of mages at their disposal. If there be trouble, report back to me immediately. We cannot risk the two of you getting hurt at this stage." Laxus whispered. Natsu and Gray nodded mutely, and could have been described as robotic.

That is, if robots were invented during that time.

"Move." That simple command from their captain got them both into action. As both of them dispersed into the wood, Laxus hung back for just a moment, looking at the sky.

 _May whomever is above help us all._

* * *

The first thing that Lucy felt as she regained consciousness was the cold chill on her wrists. She tried so hard to flinch away from it, but it felt as if something was stuck to her wrists. Lucy wanted to open her eyes to see what was causing her such discomfort, but the immediate light hitting her dark vision was enough for her to snap her eyes back shut. It was an odd light, far dimmer than any lamp that she had seen, and most definitely not the sun.

She squinted her eyes opened a little bit to see her surroundings, but she only got blurry vision from the water in her eyes at first. As she tried to blink her eyes open, they started to focus on the dark stone walls surrounding her, and the torches that lit up almost every wall, illuminating the room in an orange light that Lucy had never seen before.

She didn't want to sound cliche, but she didn't think that she was in Magnolia anymore.

Her body ached all over, and she had the pungent taste of something terribly acidic in her mouth that made her jaw hurt. She tried to sit up and stretch her arms, only to be faced with two problems. 1. Her arms and legs hurt like made, as if all of her limbs were cut off, run under a bulldozer and then reattached to her body, and 2. Surrounding her wrists were two rustic chains, and they were so tight that she could even see some circulation in her hand being cut off.

"So you have finally awoken, have you?" A feminine voice asked from behind her. It was not one that was familiar to Lucy, malicious tone of the voice made her happy of that fact. Lucy turned her sore body towards the source of the voice, but found that even her ribs were causing her great pain. "In pain, are you not? It is only natural, there are many side effects to mortals who travel through time." The woman said as she made her way around to the side Lucy was looking so that she wouldn't have to strain herself to look at her.

Dimaria was not doing this out of kindness or sympathy for the girl. She was the one who put her there in the first place, of course. She just wanted the girl in front of her to see the face of the person that would bring down the kingdom of the one she cared for.

"W-who are you?" Lucy croaked out. Her throat felt raw.

"Me? Oh dear, it does not matter what my name is. In fact, I do not believe that you should have any obligation to know anything." Her manner of speaking reminded her of Natsu, excluding the fact that she knew that Natsu did not speak to her with the intention to kill her. "However, I have always been peevish to those who are ignorant, and I might find you so irritant with any questions that you might have that I might just kill you myself without following through with my plan." Lucy's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Dimaria kneeled to Lucy's height and went on blindly. "I am a shaman, and you are in a time four hundreds years prior to where you originally were." Lucy's breathing became erratic, and a sinister smile crept it's way onto Dimaria's face. "By your look of fear and not of confusion, I can tell that this does not surprise you. Tell me, why is that?" She asked.

Lucy opened her mouth once again, finally feeling the dryness of her lips as they tried to form coherent sounds. She took a few deep breaths and licked her lips before taking one big gulp of her saliva and answering. "I have nothing to say to you. Just tell me why I'm here." Lucy demanded weakly.

Dimaria tsked. "What an improper manner of speaking. It seems to be that the future is more rotten than I could have perceived." She said to no one in particular. "It is tedious for me to given a lengthy explanation and it is an impossible feat to give you your predicament in a few words, so I will leave you with the task of piecing together your own fate." She said. She then stood up and dusted off her long skirt before making her way to the door. Lucy glared at her the whole way there, but it did not seem to affect the other woman.

"Wait..." Lucy called weakly after her. Dimaria sighed and turned towards her.

"Oh quiet your ramble, will you not? After all, I have given you the opportunity to reunite with the one that you wish to see the most." She said, as if Lucy should have been grateful for her service. _I still don't understand what the hell is going on!_ Lucy thought frantically. _The person I wish to see the most? If we are four hundred years in the past, there is only one person who she could be referring to._ She then heard yelling down the hall from outside the room. Dimaria peaked outside for a moment before looking at Lucy once more. "It seems that you do not have to wait long, for he is already close by."

Lucy closed her eyes and lowered her head, trying to prevent the other woman from seeing her fearful face. Lucy squinted her eyes shut to try to blink some of her tears back into her sockets, but her emotions took over her rational brain, and she found it harder and harder to stop the sob from escaping her mouth and echoing around the room.

Dimaria was happy with the sight.

* * *

Natsu wanted to inflict some sort of punishment on himself.

He had lost sight of the people he had taken an oath to protect. What greater dishonor is there?

He moved quickly through to woods, not making any more sound than a doe would. His hand held the hilt of his sword as he sped around, waiting for any sign of his teammates to come into sight. He then took an abrupt stop, crouching down to put his highly-trained ears to work. He listened for any sounds coming towards him. It might be paranoia taking over him, but he was sure that he had heard a soft _crunch_ over to the side of him. If it were an animal, it would not have stopped the same time he had. If it were his friends, then they would not have hidden for so long. In his mind, it immediately clicked that it was the enemy.

And he was right.

Sensing that the Fiorian had spotted him, the dark-haired man leaped out of a neighboring bush and swung his long sword towards Natsu's neck. He knew that he would dodge, of course, because his partner explicitly said that she wanted him alive. Natsu flipped backwards to avoid the attack, landing on the ground with the same silence and grace as he had been running with.

"Quite light on your feet, are you not?" The dark-haired man said as he approached Natsu. Natsu just glared and drew his sword, preparing for an attack.

"Identify yourself." Natsu said monotonously.

"I see no need for me to do such a thing. You _are_ trespassing on my territory, after all. I would ask you for yours, if I did not already know it. Natsu Dragneel, one of the most elite warriors in all of the Fiore army. It is a... _pleasure_ to make your acquaintance." He stressed that word with so much malice that Natsu did not have to see the eyes that were covered by his bangs to imagine that they were glaring at him.

Natsu did not reply.

"I did not come for an introduction either, but I am afraid that our time here is short. I request for you to come with me at once." He said, keeping his sword raised.

"A request that I will have to decline." Natsu replied.

"Oh, you wound me, Sir Dragneel. I suppose that taking you without a good fight would not rest well with my conscience either. Come now," Wahl said as he cemented his position, let us duel." He said. Natsu did not need another word of provocation.

Natsu was no fool to attack an Alvarezian blindly, especially one whom he knew held some sort of power in their ranks. He waited until the man's sword came down to hit him before taking a swipe of his own, only to be blocked by that same sword. Their battle lasted for a long time, which was evident with the dawn breaking over the horizon. He had to finish their battle quickly, otherwise more of those roaches were bound to show up sooner or later.

Natsu pulled his left leg back and ducked underneath another one of the man's swings and aimed for his side, ready to end the battle for good, even i it meant slicing the man in two. However, before he got the chance to do so, a searing pain entered his head, and Natsu was thrown off balance. Wahl took this opportunity to kick Natsu in the side, possibly breaking some of his ribs in the process. The pain in Natsu's head did not subside, yet it kept getting stronger with every passing second. He had never felt pain like that in his whole life, no matter how much training he had. It felt like a hornet entered his brain and started to devour every millimeter of matter within. Natsu clutched his head in pain and gave a low cry in agony, refusing to let the opposing side see that he was literally dying. He felt a small trickle of blood flow out of his right ear, but his body was too paralyzed with pain to move and comfort it.

"As much as I like to see him whither on the ground helplessly, I think that it is about time to stop your little trick, Dimaria." Natsu heard his opponent say as he smirked at him. In an instant, the pain subsided for a little, only to be replaced with the most agonizing sense of dizziness and fatigue.

"Indeed. I must keep him awake for my next act." The woman, Dimaria if the man was referring to her, said as she walked around Natsu's limp body to stand next to her partner. He saw another pair of feet as well, but these seemed to be trying to dig their way into their ground to stop themselves form being dragged. Natsu raised his eyes towards the three faces that he saw. He saw two new blonde women enter his sight. One was smirking at him so evilly that it might make the devil cower, and the other woman had a blindfold on, as well as a black cloth to gag her mouth. There were dried streaks running down her face from what he could tell in the dim light. It was clear that the woman was a captive. "Natsu Dragneel." The woman addressed him. Natsu struggled to do so, but he eventually rose to his feet and stared the woman dead in the eye. "Do you know who this woman is?" Dimaria asked as she moved the blindfold off of the other woman's eyes.

The woman being held opened her eyes after feeling the cloth lift off of her eyes. What she saw before her was the man who she had been wishing earnestly to meet again. She could feel tears start to gather in her eyes again, but she made no attempt to try and hold them back, for she knew that it would be futile. Her heart started to ache when his eyes meet hers. It was the look he had given her when they first met.

The look one would give someone who they had never met before.

Lucy started to thrash around, but the vice grip that Dimaria had on her was enough to make her cry out in pain if that gag was not around her mouth.

"No?" Dimaria asked. "Oh, that is right. Time travel does not affect me the same way it does you." Dimaria said,, acting as if she had some sort of sympathy.

"What is this sorcery you speak of?" Natsu asked, his voice hard. Lucy missed hearing it so much, but he would never know. He did not remember her, after all.

"Time travel. The ability to manipulate every given second to create a world in your own image. Now let me ask you again, do you know who this woman is?" Dimaria asked, her cynical glare trying to burn holes into his skull.

Natsu looked at the woman once again, and she stared back at him, her eyes wide with fear, and if he was not mistaken, recognition. Her eyes were the richest brown he had ever seen, but he knew better than to be pulled into them. He kept his hand on his sword.

He did not know this woman.

Lucy looked towards his hand, and her eyes widened when she noticed that it was _her_ sword that hung from his waist. Lucy's mouth started to feel dry as the salty water from her tears started to dry out her throat. She could not put into coherent thought what her feelings were because they were all jumbled up inside of her. It was true that she wanted to meet Natsu again, but not when she was being held against her will and Natsu was in front of her, bloody and unknowing of her existence.

"Again, the answer is no? I see. Well, no matter to be worried about." She said as she pushed Lucy a little to the middle of her and Wahl, letting Wahl hold his giant sword against her neck. Natsu glared at them. He was determined to get the woman back, for her safety. The woman seemed to call out to him with her eyes. To save her was the obvious answer for her look, since it was a human instinct to survive, but there was something else within her stare. Something that he could not comprehend. "Let us see what you remember after _this!_ " Dimaria exclaimed as she gathered a bright blue light within her hands and shot it towards Natsu, who once again dropped on the ground in agony.

This time, the light exploded from his body, making Lucy shut her eyes to keep out the brightness. She could hear Natsu scream in pain, and she jolted her head from side to side, desperately trying to get the gag out of her mouth to call out to him. The light immediately dimmed considerably, and Natsu was left taking deep and raspy breaths on the ground, covered in new cuts that were oozing red blood.

Dimaria noticed the rocking of Lucy's head and decided that it was best to take the gag off of the woman. It wasn't like they had anything to lose by her being loud. Dimaria reached behind her, careful not to touch Wahl's sword, which was still pointed at her neck, and seized the gag, only to have Lucy thrust herself forward in an attempt to bite her. Lucy's teeth caught the junction between Dimaria's thumb and her other fingers. Dimaria yelped as some of her blood started to show from the deep puncture wound. Wahl did not swing at her, knowing that Dimaria would want to deal with her.

An enraged Dimaria swung her hand down and smack Lucy right across the face. Lucy was sure she heard something in her skull crack at the moment, and blood started to ooze out of her jaw and onto her sweater as she fell to the ground. Lucy braced herself for another attack from the woman before turning her head to look at Natsu, who she thought was still trying to shake off the pain. Instead, he was looking straight at her, his eyes wide and fearful as they peered at her bloody face. There was a large change in his look, and she knew right when she saw it...

...that he remembered her.

"Natsu." She said, trying not to cringe as the taste of copper danced upon her taste buds.

"Lucy..." He whispered airily.

 **And there you folks have it! Chapter 16 complete right when the deadline was about to finish. I have to admit, I really thought that I would not be able to make it, but you guys know the drill. We all have lives outside of our computers. At least I hope we all do...No offense to anyone whose life is on the computer! I completely respect that!**

 **Where was I going with this?**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know how insanely grateful I am for this story's success. Truly guys, I could not have done it without your constant support! And I know you guys probably really hate me right now because 1. I made you wait for a long time for this chapter and 2. I left you on quite the cliffhanger. I will try to update as soon as possible next time. But...long chapters are great, am I right? *sweats with anticipation to reactions to the chapter***

 **So, as always, I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever they are, and I'll see all of you beautiful people next time with a brand new chapter! Bye!**


	17. The Battle of the Past

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

If time had somehow come to a standstill, Lucy believes that this is what it would have felt like. Her back slouched, as if a limp body falling to the ground. Dimaria and Wahl said nothing, and Lucy could not tell if this was out of some sort of sick compassion or out of sadism, because it _hurt_. No matter how much she had wished to see Natsu again, the fact that she _was_ seeing him again, and especially in these conditions hurt like hell.

Natsu had not made one move from his sitting spot, even though his mind had been urging his body desperately to take revenge on the two devils that hurt his Lucy. Somebody that he had never expected too see again. Somebody he was so fond of that it went against every code in a warrior's guide book.

"L-Lucy..." Natsu repeated, now trying to find the strength in himself to stand up and make his way over to her, almost cringing at her newly bloodied face. He heard a _tsk_ from above him as he forced himself up, using all the strength in his battered limbs to do so. Wahl took Lucy by the arm and forced her up as well, making her yelp in pain. He then held his giant sword to her neck once more.

"If you take one step closer, I shall slit the throat of this maiden." Wahl said, glaring at Natsu who did the same with equal heat.

"That took longer than I expected. I surely did not think that such a highly praised warrior would show _this_ kind of emotion towards his lady." Natsu drew his sword. "She seems very important to you, Dragneel, but my curiosity asks, how is it possible that you have met her? She has come from... _very_ far away." Dimaria said as she cupped Lucy's chin with her hand, squeezing her cheeks. Lucy quickly moved her head to the side and scowled at the woman, before debating whether or not to look at Natsu once again. She knew that if she did, he might feel pain as well; she could tell from his earlier look that he was struggling to comprehend why she was in his time. If she decided to look away, she might give him the impression that she had given up hope of being rescued, which she had not. However, the latter seemed like the better option. She didn't want Natsu to rush in and save her.

Natsu's inner conflict dealt with him debating on whether he should attack head on, hoping that he was skilled enough to save Lucy and bring her out of danger, or just morph back to a stoic face and pretend that he did not know Lucy. However, he knew the latter would not work, considering that he had already said her name, stating his recognition of her. He could always come up with some sort of strategy, but he would have to know what they wanted with her first.

"What is it that you two desire to have from her?" Natsu asked, his glare never wavering.

Dimaria barked a laugh and Natsu had to fight back a wince. He had heard people in Lucy's time do it all the time, but at this age, it was very uncommon to see anyone do that, let alone a _woman_. He guessed the Alvarez Empire had different standards than those in Fiore.

"It is not anything that we desire from her, it is what we desire from you. She," She gripped Lucy's wrists, and she could feel some sort of sharp metal a centimeter away from her artery. "is nothing more than a chess piece in our little game."

"Do you consider bloodshed a game?" Natsu said as he brought one of his feet back, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Ah, but that begs a question, what is a game, other than a way to entertain the Gods? And as someone might say, everyone has a side to want to believe in. So in a way, all conflict is a game, no?" Dimaria asked as she closed her eyes and shrugged. Wahl fought the urge to sigh deeply at her long explanation. She usually said things to either confuse the opponent, or to make herself look smart and philosophical. In truth, it was not like she truly contemplated situations like this in her spare time. His grip loosened around Lucy by a very small fraction.

The split second where both of them had let their guard down was when Natsu decided to attack. He drew his sword, and with a speed that was unfathomable, he sprinted towards Wahl and yanked Lucy out of his grip before bringing his sword down on both Wahl and Dimaria in one simple swipe. However, Wahl had been quick to realize his sudden turn in movement, faster than Natsu had anticipated, and stepped in front of Dimaria, using his sword to protect both of them. Natsu quickly grabbed Lucy and jumped back, going at least getting out of range of Wahl's sword in case he decided to take an offensive stance. However, Natsu was not too worried about him. He was confident he could beat him because the man's heavy sword would be a disadvantage against his speed. The person Natsu was worried about though, was the woman. Though on the outside she looked like any other maiden and not like the truly powerful shaman she was, appearances were deceiving, and since she used magic, her long-ranged attacks could strike down both him and Lucy in one blow.

Natsu knew that his true objective should be to get Lucy to safety. He needed to take Lucy and go find Gray and the rest of his team, since the Alvarez Empire could already be alerted of their presence. At least, if he makes Lucy go back to the village with Gray, he can deal with the two in front of him without any need to protect Lucy as well.

"Alright Lucy, stay back here." Natsu said as he pushed Lucy behind him.

"Natsu...what's going on?" Lucy asked hoarsely as she cradled the spot on her face that was recently struck. She tried to be strong, like the heroines in the books that she loves to read, but it was _hard_. It was so hard to not scream and cry out of confusion, and action that would surely distract Natsu from his goal. No, there was plenty of time to cry later.

"I do not have an answer, Lucy. Just please...let me handle this." Natsu said as he focused his attention back on his two opponents.

"Is that all you have, Dragneel? The original plan was to capture you, but with your power level, it will be hard to restrain myself from killing you right here." Wahl said as he laughed maniacally. Dimaria looked at him with narrowed eyes, which made Wahl clutch his head in slight pain and move out of the position he had taken in front of her.

"Do not stray from our original path, you imbecile." She spat. Lucy cringed at her sour attitude. "Now then, it is time for the two of you to come with us." Dimaria said as her hands started to glow silver. Lucy stepped out of the way like Natsu had suggested her to do, not wanting to get in his way.

Lucy just watched with wide eyes as Natsu evaded many attempts that Dimaria made to take him out, as well as the skill he used when he fought Wahl on top of that. Dimaria looked over her and gritted her teeth. _Very well_ , Dimaria thought, _maybe picking of one that is smaller than the other is a better offensive plan._

Dimaria conjured up an attack with her hands behind her back as she looked over at Lucy through her peripheral vision, who was watching Natsu's battle intently while clutching the bark of an old pine tree. A small beam was then shot towards Lucy, unbeknownst to her companion and the Firorian warrior.

However, if there was one thing Lucy prided herself for, it was her quick reflexes, which were practiced multiple times when she had accidentally dropped her sharp knives during cooking. Once Lucy had seen the glint of light coming her way, she immediately dodged before she even knew what had come at her. After a few moments of sitting on the ground, she had come to the realization that she was just attacked. Lucy snapped her head towards her attacker, slowly rising from the ground in an attempt to stabilize herself in case another attack came.

"Tch." Dimaria scoffed. The future brat would be more trouble than she bargained for. She had clearly underestimated the abilities of the girl, but she was ready to make sure that she would only leave this battlefield limp and barely alive.

* * *

Natsu moved out of range of his attacker's sword, only to bring his own down upon his leg. The contact made a slight _clank_ , even though that blow was meant to take his whole leg off. Another swipe from his opponent's sword sent him staggering backwards, a fine gash now stretched across his chest. Natsu scolded himself for his miscalculation, wondering how he could have made such a mistake. His sword was crafted so brilliantly, the smallest prick would bring about a river of blood. The fact that he had inaccurately used it befuddled him. Natsu examined the spot where he had just struck, to find nothing but a tear in his pant leg.

"Wondering why my leg has not completely come off?" Wahl asked. Natsu stared at him with a blank face. "You see, there are certain advantages to having the largest diverse population of shamans in the world. The ability to reduce the weight of metal to make yourself a suit of armor that is easy to move in is just one of those advantages."

Natsu did not really find it in himself to care about what his damn country had. All he needed to do was cut him down so he can get Lucy back to safety.

Speaking of which...where was she and the blond shaman?

Natsu's eyes widened before Wahl's sword befell him again.

* * *

It was unknown to Lucy whether she had strayed away from Natsu or if she was really close, considering all of the trees in the forest looked the same. Dawn started to break over the horizon, and Lucy prayed that the brightness of the light would not slow her escape.

Dimaria was hot on her trail, but it was hard to conserve and properly let out magic energy while running, and she did not have unlimited reserves of power so she could not keep shooting at her and hope that one of her shots hit. She had to corner the little brat somehow.

Lucy's muscles were starting to feel the fatigue from all of the running she had done, but her fight or flight instinct had kicked in, and the "fight" part was kind of useless when you are faced with someone who is probably stronger than you and can shoot fast silver beams out of their hands.

She knew that the only way to evade her completely would be to make her way over to Natsu, but Lucy had to weigh the pros and cons of this situation too, considering it would put Natsu at greater risk. She could not possibly rely on Natsu to protect both her and himself, otherwise he would be too overwhelmed. However, against her own thoughts, she pivoted on her foot and ran towards the direction where she heard the clashing of swords. She willed herself to stop, but once again, instinct overcame her body, and her want to survive overcame all of the reason withing her.

 _I'm sorry Natsu_. Lucy thought as she ran towards his battle ground.

 **H-hey guys...Ho-how've you been?**

 **I am truly sorry that I have not updated on my regular schedule, but as you guys know, my excuse is the same as your guys': finals! I was actually planning on writing an even longer chapter that would take a long time to finish, but I do not have that kind of time because I will soon be going to New York to study in a music program there for part of my summer, and my schedule will become more spaced out. I just wanted to get something out before I left, but do not worry, I will update sometime before my summer break ends (mid-August), I promise!**

 **Quite honestly, I will probably update multiple times before my break ends, but that is just to assure you that this story is not going on hiatus. I'm taking my computer to New York also, so I might be able to write something while I am there. I'm not going for too long, though.**

 **On a random note, I just found out the full name of Malaysia's Yang di-Pertuan Agong (or king of Malaysia). It made me sad that I'm Malaysian and I didn't even know his full name. Maaf!  
**

 **Anyway, I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever they are! Study hard and I'll see you guy next time!**


	18. Fading Horizon

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

As the sun started to peak over the horizon, it shrouded the entire land in a bright yellow light. Animals would have started to wake at this time, if it were not for the intense battle of clashing swords happening before them.

Wahl took another swing of his sword, and Natsu, as quick as he was, was finding it harder and harder to dodge the attacks. He blocked this one with a sword, but the heavy weight made the blunt end of his weapon press into his arm, drawing some blood.

"This has gone on long enough, has it not, Dragneel. Surrender!" Wahl barked. With amazing speed, Natsu broke away from his predicament and sent a sharp towards the neck of his opponent, which would have been a fatal blow if it was not for the metal plate that resided there. The cut was still able to make a gash on the side though, where Natsu knew was a vital spot in the body.

Wahl clutched his neck and stumbled onto the ground, gasping for breath. After a few seconds, large trails of blood started to flow out of his mouth, and he had to cough and sputter to keep himself from choking.

"It is over. You have lost." Natsu said calmly, even though he was out of breath as well. He could feel the warm trickle of his own blood down his head, but it was nothing that the old woman Porlyusica couldn't fix. Wahl started to get to his feet, still clutching his the area where a river of dark liquid continued flowing with no intention of stopping until he was bone dry.

"Alvarez..." Wahl said as he coughed up some more blood. Natsu would admire his persistence if the situation was different. "...does _not_ lose!" He said as he took his dripping hand off of his neck to make one final move.

His dark-metal sword turned completely black as it started to ooze out a shadowy substance. That dripping substance flowed to Natsu and tangled at his ankles, firmly placing him onto the ground. Natsu glared at the substance slithering up his legs. _So he can use magic too, can he?_ No matter, in the state that his opponent was in, it would not be hard to prevent an attack with his own sword.

Natsu looked at his broken and bloodied opponent once more, only to find that his eyes had turned a pitch black, with no signs of life in them. He raised his head then, and his sword came down for the final blow. Natsu was ready for it, already drawing his sword and holding it up to stop the blow. He started to feel jabs of pain at his feet, probably from those shadow-things, but it was a matter he could tend to later.

However, before Wahl's shadowy sword could meet Natsu's in a final clash, there was a substance standing in between them, with his sword etching a deep gash in their back and Wahl's large sword running completely through the right side of her body. Before either could retract their swords, the blonde woman fell to the ground in a motionless heap, her brown eyes looking distant and her gushing blood turning black from the magic etched in the sword. There was a crystalline spear in chest.

Natsu stared at the ground in shock, as did Wahl, but with a different kind. His hand was trying to stop the bleeding on his neck once more, but he had completely forgotten about the wound when he dropped to the ground as well, picking up the woman roughly.

It was Dimaria.

* * *

Lucy kept running through the woods, intent on getting closer to where Natsu was. Dimaria was hot on her trail, but she could tell by the look in her eyes that she just thought it was a game of cat-and-mouse. However, it seemed as though the game would come to abrupt end.

"Enough of this! I shall put an end to this juvenile wrangle." Dimaria shouted in frustration. Lucy's senses were so clouded with the need to escape that she paid no mind to the woman until she felt a painful sensation on her wrist. With a painful pull, she was gravitated towards Dimaria.

"Decimated Space!" The blonde shaman yelled as a swirl of transparent energy started to cloud around Lucy's wrist. She felt the pressure on the limb increasing by the second, and it was not long after that she heard a deafening _crack_ before she elicited a shriek of pain. She fell to the ground, yet her body was somehow still being pulled in towards Dimaria. The force pulling her started to squeeze her abdomen, cutting off any circulation and her windpipe. Lucy struggled to breathe.

The force finally stopped when she reached Dimaria's feet, letting the other woman stand over her and glare at her with a sense of superiority. Lucy held her wrist to her chest, her sobs finally turning audible. Dimaria circled the pitiful woman, wondering how legend such as the great Natsu Dragneel could care for such a weak woman.

"Wh-what do you want...from me?" Lucy said through her thick tears, her voice barely comprehensible because of her loud sniffles and the saliva that refused to be swallowed because it hurt too much. Dimaria scowled at her before roughly placing her foot on Lucy's side, which was facing upward, and pressing down a little. Not too much that it would actually break the bone.

"Please refrain from believing that you are anything special. The only one we are after is Natsu Dragneel." Dimaria hissed.

As Lucy started to calm down her sobs, knowing that they would not do her much good, she could finally hear the clashing of the swords that was happening a couple hundred yards away.

 _So...close..._ Lucy thought tiredly. _I truly am pathetic, aren't I? I can't let Natsu fight my battle for me._ She squeezed her eyes shut as another bout of pain resonated from her wrist. _But...I'm too scared, I can't move._ Lucy let out another loud gasp as Dimaria's shoe dug a little deeper into her side. _Why do I have to be so weak? Why the hell can't I do something to help Natsu for once?_

"I think it is due time for you to say goodbye for all the trouble you have caused me, dear girl." Dimaria said as she painfully slid her shoe down Lucy's side and knelt down next to her, carefully brushing some of Lucy's hair out of her face to admire her handiwork with the woman. Dimaria grinned wickedly at her blood-abundant face.

Lucy knew that she had to do something, not only for her own life, because her human psychology of "fight or flight" was definitely kicking in, but for Natsu's as well. She couldn't just leave him with two psychopaths and a dead carcass. Lucy looked around for something she could use to escape, but she knew that there was not much she could do against this witch.

"It is really a shame that I have to kill you now, after all the hard work it took to get you here. I still have no clue how you were able to get Natsu Dragneel back here, but I commend you for your effort. Whoever must have done it must of been of great magical power. However, if they are not me, they are to completely lose their ability of time manipulation, and they will be so weak that they will barely be able to use their powers anymore. In contrast to me, the Descendant of Chronos, Lord of Time." Dimaria said proudly, staring off into the dense wood, not particularly looking at anything. In the duration of her monologue, Lucy had managed to snag a sharp rock from the forest floor. It was not much of a weapon, but at least it was something to defend herself with.

Knowing that the longer she waited was a second closer to her death, Lucy decided that it was time to escape. She started making little whimpers of pain, which were not entirely fake, to catch Dimaria's attention. It worked.

"Oh? Do you want to cry, dear? As much as the sound would truly feed my joy, I have already had my fun with you." Dimaria said before leaning in close to her face. "Do not fret, girl, you will not be feeling much pain for longer." Dimaria whispered right next to her ear. The next thing she knew, she was staggering back from a sharp blow to the face, cupping her eye that was now dripping with blood. She looked up angrily to find her assailant not there, but running far away in the direction of Natsu and Wahl.

"So that is how you want to fight, eh?" Dimaria asked rhetorically as she rose steadily onto her feet. An aura glowing gold started to radiate off the woman's skin, making it almost impossible to see her true skin color. Her hair flared as it turned black, but the golden aura was still around it. Black marks started to cover her body, shadowing the top part of her face, ending at her one good eye that was now golden.

" **Then that is the fight you shall have.** " Her demonic voice now spoke, almost a full octave lower and much scratchier. She noticed that the one she kept captive was still running away with no sign of stopping. Dimaria scoffed as she snapped her fingers.

Instantly, the whole world froze. The trees stopped in their place from being pushed by the wind, no clouds gave even the slightest bit of movement, and dew from the early morning that once hung off leaves now lay suspended in open space.

Everything was still, everything was silent.

Dimaria made her way over to Lucy, paralyzed mid-step in her attempt to run. The leaves under Dimaria's feet singed with the power of her aura, and looked as though they would catch fire at any given moment. She circled Lucy like she was prey; frozen prey that could not escape.

She pushed Lucy slightly, making her lean over a little bit, but then she snapped her fingers, and time returned to normal. Lucy went flying into the neighboring tree, dropping her to the ground gasping for breath. She was lucky that she did not end up landing on what she thinks is her broken wrist, or that would have been much more painful.

Another second later, branches from the tree started to fall, crashing onto her legs and a couple falling near her arms and in front of her, encasing her in some sort of cage. Lucy tried fruitlessly to remove the moss-covered branches from around her with her one good hand, which proved to be impossible. She was still able to move her legs, even though they were crushed by branches, meaning that they were not broken yet. She was uncertain how many broken bones she could take in one day. She still had no idea how she ended up like that.

" **Surprised?** " She head the demonic voice say. Dimaria stood above her, but not the one she had seen before. This version truly looked like a demon, and the devilish smirk that she was giving her advocated for that fact. " **I have the ability to replace a certain area with the exact same space from a different time. This space happens to be one where the branches of the tree had fallen, 270 years in the future.** " She explained. She held up her hand, and a black smoke started to rise from it. Lucy looked at her weirdly before she felt a growing sensation on her arm. Lucy hesitantly turned her head down to find her arm with the broken wrist covered in what looked like a deep black mold, that seemed to be coming from the tree.

" **That fungus that is to grow on the tree in the future will slowly suck all the nutrients out of you. A perfectly painful and timely death for all of the trouble you have caused me. However, I shall not make you suffer for that long. Your death will be quick.** " Lucy could already feel the circulation in her arm cutting off from the rest of her body, and the deep breaths she was taking to soothe her pain seemed to be doing nothing. Her whole body racked with sobs as Dimaria raised her hands and conjured up some kind of black spear. Lucy's eyes widened as she saw it. " **Yes. Cower under me. Your true purpose will soon be realized. Originally, we had planned to kill you in front of Dragneel's eyes. A pained heart is always so much easier to control. However, just seeing your body as disfigured as I am about to make you will suffice."**

Dimaria backed away a little and drew her hand back, aiming perfectly for Lucy's neck. "No...stop..." Lucy said weakly. Dimaria's aura seemed to flare at this.

" **It is time to die.** " She said as she let go of her spear, letting it soar directly towards its target. Lucy closed her eyes, waiting for what she thought was her inevitable death.

That was until she heard a clashing sound.

Lucy froze as she looked towards her side, seeing the spear embedded right between a branch and her head, literally a couple of centimeters from scraping her eyes. She watched as the spear dilapidated into nothingness before snapping her head up to look at her savior, hoping it was Natsu. It wasn't.

Through her blurry vision, she could see that it was a black-haired man, probably as old as Natsu but a little taller with an equally strong physique. He held a sword in one hand, standing protectively in front of her as he panted lightly.

"I am glad to have made it in time." He said monotonously, a way that kind of reminded her of Natsu's when she first met him.

" **Who dares to disturb my execution?** " Dimaria asked, her voice growing in volume to show her anger.

"A warrior who has come to expunge your foul deeds from the world." He explained fluently. He pointed his sword at her, as if provoking her to make the first move. In all truth, he was stunned by the amount of energy radiating off of the woman, but he should have expected nothing less from a shaman of Alvarez, especially one of their top officials.

" **A comrade of Dragneel's?** " Dimaria hissed, her eye seeming to glow an even brighter gold. " **Most excellent. He will be able to experience two heartbreaking deaths.** " Dimaria said as she smirked devilishly.

"And for what do you want Natsu for?" Gray asked as his eyes narrowed into slits. There was no way he would let the enemy take his comrade.

Gray, however, did not get his answer because Dimaria launched at him with great speed and struck him in the side. As he gathered himself from the ground, he internally reprimanded himself for not anticipating the attack. Unbeknownst by him, there was nothing he could do, since Dimaria had transcended time.

He took another blow to the face, this one leaving gash marks on his cheeks. He could also smell the faint scent of burning flesh, as if she had hit him with fire. Then once again, she had disappeared. Knowing that he would be like a lamb given up for slaughter if he stayed in one place, he quickly made his way over to Lucy and slashed the branches off of her. "Free yourself." He ordered as he kept a sharp eye on the area around him. Lucy did as she was told, because this man seemed to be one she could trust.

"Thank you." Lucy said as she used the trunk of the tree to stand up. "Who are you?" Lucy asked her savior.

"That is not relevant, milady. More importantly, are you allied with Alvarez?" Gray asked, looking at her through his peripheral vision to try to assess if she was a foe or someone he could trust.

"No! The opposite! I'm from Magnolia!" She pushed. Gray looked at her skeptically. She did not talk nor dress like his people, so how could it be possible that she was from his village? She then said, "I'm a friend of Natsu's." She said, praying that he would believe her instead of striking her down.

"Friend?" Gray asked. That was impossible, Natsu had no friends outside of the warriors in the village, and it was more than obvious that this girl was not one of them. She had to be lying.

 _However,_ Gray thought, _there was a period where Natsu did not come back for many months. Perhaps he met her then? She will have to come back to the village for interrogation, as a captive._

"I still do not completely trust you-" He started.

"I was not counting on you doing so." Lucy replied honestly.

"-but I will have to take you back to my village for questioning. If you try anything, Natsu and I will not hesitate to kill you, no matter if you convince me that you know him or not." He said. This man was much more talkative than Natsu when they first met. However, it was understandable considering she was a potential threat and he was just making sure that his village was safe.

"Understood, but we have to help Natsu first." Lucy said, looking in the direction of where his fight was.

" **Be concerned about helping yourselves**." The demonic voice spoke again without showing herself. Before Lucy knew what was going on, some kind of shape surrounded her and Gray, one made of light. In the next second, she and her companion were trapped in stone, their arms hanging above their heads as if they were prisoners. Gray's sword was knocked out of his hands before it landed near his feet. He shuffled his feet lightly, trying to find a way to get his sword back up.

Unlike many of the warriors of their village, he and Natsu had certain attributes that made them stand out amongst everyone. It was impossible to say if they really had magic like shaman did, but all they knew was that these certain abilities came in handy when needed, even though they were directly instructed by Master Makarov to only use them if the situation became dire. Gray just needed his sword for his little trick. However, if he did not time his actions correctly, both him and the lady would end up dead.

" **Say your final goodbyes, you _cretins_.** " She said the last word with such disdain that it made Lucy cower. She looked over at Gray helplessly, but saw that his attention seemed to be focused elsewhere. She braced herself for the pain that she would most likely feel, if she was even alive afterwards.

Dimaria started to gather all of her energy into a sphere atop her head, one that was a transparent green color. It was bigger than anything else she had attacked them with, and the force was so strong that the wind changed its direction and started to gather around the ball of energy, which seemed to be pulling it in. Dimaria started to shift back to her normal human form, proof that she was using all of the magic power she had in this last attack. She let out a maniacal battle cry before throwing the gigantic energy source towards them, waiting for it to kill them.

Before it could even touch them, however, Gray had kicked his sword up. His eyes turned an icy blue, which Lucy did not see because she was too busy squinting her eyes shut. His sword seemed to melt away until it was thinner and longer, and was levitating to point straight at Dimaria. It was no longer a sword, but a spear.

" _Ice Devil's Spear!_ " He yelled, and his floating spear seemed to move on its own accord, piercing through the ball of energy that was just about to reach them and shooting towards Dimaria, running her through the chest. The ball of energy disappeared then, without a shaman to supply the magic power needed. The force of the ball did, however, smash the remaining rock around Lucy and Gray, dropping them both to the ground and almost burying their entire body.

Dimaria was then thrown back by a big force. Lucy, who had opened her eyes just in time to see the split-second event unfold, saw Dimaria fly backwards, going through the bark of many trees until she was unable to be seen. Gray groaned in pain, which prompted Lucy to quickly dislodge herself from all of the rubble that lay atop her before slowly dragging the warrior out with her one good hand.

"Hey! Hey...are you okay?" The only response she got was another muffled groan. The man was barely conscious and looked like he was in a lot of pain. She carefully got him into a standing position with much effort and swung his arm over her shoulders so he could lean against her. With her wrist broken, she wrapped her forearm around his waist and tried to hoist him over toward Natsu. She was basically dragging him most of the way, but Lucy knew that it was too serious of a situation to make any sort of complaint.

After walking for several minutes, she came upon the site where Natsu faced his opponent, who was holding Dimaria over his shoulder, glaring at Natsu, who was still stuck in the black substance. Lucy gasped at how beaten up Dimaria looked.

"You will pay for this Dragneel. Mark our words! Tell Makarov that it would be in his best interest to be prepared," he said as he turned around, "for the Alvarez Kingdom shows no mercy!" And then, he was gone.

Natsu wanted to go after him, but then he remembered that he was still in his glued state, so he slashed through the black tar-like substance to free his legs. He then took a huge breath, trying to soothe his sore muscles and trying to ignore the pain that seemed to flow throughout his entire body.

Lucy was relieved to find him okay, but she knew that she had no time to take a breath, since there was someone in deep need just on her shoulder. "Natsu!" Lucy called out, bringing herself and Gray over to him. Natsu turned to her to give her a smile, but then saw his fallen comrade on her shoulder, almost unconscious. He ran to her with incredible speed, just as her legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. Lucy looked up at him through the remnants of the tears in her eyes. "We have to help him, Natsu. And fast!" Lucy said, panting as she did so. Natsu nodded once, not needed to be told again.

"Do not worry, Gray. We will take you back to the village. Lady Porlyusica will heal you soon." Natsu said as he brought Gray's body onto his back. Standing up, he looked down at Lucy, who took that as her cue to stand up as well. Together, they quickly made their way to his village.

And that was when it dawned on Lucy that she was really not in her time anymore.

 **Hey you guys! So I am back from New York after studying there for some time, and it was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had! The city is _super_ big, so it was very overwhelming because I live in the suburbs, and it was pretty loud and crowded, which I was not very comfortable with, but it was overall very beautiful. SO many places to eat!**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I tried to play with your guys' emotions a little bit when Dimaria got stabbed by both Natsu and Wahl because I wanted to make it seem like Lucy, since both she and Dimaria have blonde hair _and_ brown eyes. At first, it was going to be Lucy throwing herself into the fight to save Natsu, but as much as I wanted to write that, I couldn't because it would 1. kind of be impossible for her to get better and 2. be too cliche. I thought that it would be really predictable for me to do that, so I hope you guys enjoyed this outcome better. I'm sorry if you did want to see something like that, though :( I also hope that the emotions in the chapter were relatable and not too far-fetched.**

 **Anyway, as always, I hope you are all having a fantastic day or night wherever you are! See you guys next time.**


	19. Serenity

**All rights to Fairy Tail belong to Hiro Mashima.**

Once Natsu had laid the black-haired man on the ground, Lucy's legs finally collapsed under her. Confusion clouded her thoughts, and it was becoming difficult to breathe. No one saw this, for they were all more concerned about the state of their injured friend than a stranger, and Lucy wanted it that way since she didn't want anyone to see her in her frazzled state.

It had been a long journey from Alvarez back to Magnolia. Natsu and Lucy had not spoken a word to each other the entire way, both not knowing what to say. However, she could sometimes feel his gaze drift to her, and she was sure that he felt it when hers did as well. When they arrived at the gates of the village, Lucy was amazed by the town that she laid her eyes upon. It was well organized, with beautiful scenery dotting the outskirts and a familiar river running through the middle. It was much more serene than her Magnolia.

The Magnolia from the _future_.

Lucy had spent her time pondering how she had even been sent back. Of course, it was probably the same way that Natsu had been sent back, but how had she ended up a prisoner by some random woman that she didn't know? And why did she call herself the "Daughter of Time" or whatever she said? Lucy would have expected herself to be more melodramatic about the situation, but since she had experienced living with Natsu, somehow it was not as much of a shock. The only thing that she felt at the moment was drowsiness.

As she sat helplessly on the ground, she became aware of a prominent presence closing in on her. She collected her breath and looked to her side, only to see the face of a short old man in what looked like noble robes. He peered at her with an emotionless face, and Lucy had to will herself to not stagger back from the intense stare. Finally, the old man spoke.

"And who might you be?" He said softly.

Lucy, who was close to tears, suddenly had her spirits lifted by his voice. It was calming, like one you would hear from an old man, and he was talking to her in a very conciliated way, which was exactly what she needed at the moment.

"L-L..." She stuttered at first before gulping down a stream of saliva. "Lucy...Lucy Heartfilia, sir." Lucy said as she bowed her head. If her assumptions were correct, this person was of high importance to where she was now, and it would be a terrible start if she came off as disrespectful.

"Lucy?" The old man parroted, trying to get used to the unfamiliar name. "Alright then, Lucy. I am Master Makarov, chief of this village." She was right. "What brings you here with Natsu? Can you tell us what has happened?" He inquired.

Lucy didn't exactly tell him everything, because she wanted to keep the detail that she was from the future for another discussion. However, she made sure to tell him everything that happened from when she was being held prisoner to when Natsu's friend got hurt. Makarov listened patiently, waiting for her to finish. He had closed his eyes and his breathing became steady, and if Lucy did not see the occasional nods coming from him, she would have assumed that he was asleep. When she finally finished, she looked down at him, since he was shorter than her even when he was standing up.

"It seems that Alvarez has been up to their foul deeds again. This does not bode well for us. If what you say is true, then they are trying to somehow get to Natsu. That is not good indeed." Makarov said as he trailed off.

"I'm sorry Master, but _why_ exactly do they want Natsu? I know he is a highly regarded warrior here, but there must be a specific reason that they were targeting him." Lucy asked. Makarov turned to look at her.

"What is your relationship with Natsu, young one?" He asked, ignoring her previous question.

Lucy was unsure what to say. She couldn't exactly lie, because she was absolutely terrible at coming up with stories on the spot. She decided that her best course of action was to tell Makarov the truth, just not the whole truth.

"He lived with me for a certain period of time. I found him injured in the woods and nursed him back to health." She said. Makarov raised an eyebrow.

"What was the duration of his stay with you?"

"I'm not sure, probably about three or so months." Lucy said unsurely. Makarov finally took note of the girl's strange way of speaking. It was not anything that he was familiar with.

"There happens to be a three month gap in Natsu's memory. Could you have perhaps caused it?" He asked, leaning in a little with a leer. Lucy leaned back in response.

"No! I mean...I'm not sure. I didn't do anything directly though! I swear!" Lucy frantically stuttered out.

"Calm yourself child, I am just inquiring." Makarov said with a heavy sigh.

Lucy flushed with embarrassment at her outburst and cleared her throat, trying to get her thoughts together. Being put through a situation where she barely escaped with her life was hard to fathom, especially with other elements being magic and sorcery, which are usually things for storybooks.

"Well, I can conclude that we cannot completely trust you yet, but if you are an acquaintance of Natsu, I assume you to be of good will. Come, join us for a feast. We must celebrate that our warriors have returned to us alive." Makarov said.

"But what about the dark-haired warrior? Is he going to be okay?" Lucy asked.

"Oh yes, he will be just fine. He is in the hands of the village's greatest doctors, Porlyusica and Wendy." Lucy sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness. It's my fault he ended up in that state anyway." Lucy said with a downcast expression, remembering how he had given every last bit of his strength to protect her and fight off his enemies. She did not even know his name. "If you do not mind me asking, what is his name again?"

"Gray. Gray Fullbuster. He is one of the higher-up officers in the army." Makarov said as he started to walk towards the tent where Natsu and Gray were, ushering her to come as well. Lucy followed behind hastily, not wanting to be left alone in an unfamiliar place.

Makarov pushed away the curtains of the tent and let Lucy go in first, even though she had to push the curtains back a little as well because the part that Makarov offered her only reached her legs. Once inside, she saw Gray unconscious on the bed with two blue-haired girls and a pink-haired old woman next to him. The smallest of the two girls was applying some herbal concoction to his wounds while the woman wrapped them. The other bluenette was by his bedside, just holding his hand and praying that he would get up.

Natsu stood in the corner with his arms crossed, looking at his fallen comrade. His features showed little emotion, but Lucy could tell that he was worried for his friend by his tensed shoulders. Natsu looked over to them when they entered, and Lucy immediately caught his gaze. He approached them and knelt down before the Master.

"I would like a detailed report of everything that has happened thus far after the feast, Natsu. However, for now I would like you to show the lady around our village. Because you two are already familiar with each other, it will make it easier. If either of you need me, I will be in the meeting room with Laxus." Makarov said formally. Natsu gave a curt bu respectful nod and stood as Makarov walked out of the tent.

Because Lucy wanted to save the conversation that she knew that they were going to have for their walk, she asked the first thing that came to her mind. "How's Gray doing?" Lucy asked.

Natsu looked a little startled when he heard her voice, since it was something that he had not really heard in a long time, but recovered quickly. "He was never in a critical condition to begin with. He just overexerted himself." Natsu explained as he took one last glance at his friend. "Come, let us go for that walk." Natsu said as he motioned towards the door. Lucy exited and Natsu followed, but he quickly took the lead and led her to where he wanted to go.

Lucy was not paying attention to any of her surroundings and just stared at Natsu's back. She couldn't believe that she was seeing him again, after she thought there was no way of her ever meeting him again. What also surprised her was that he seemed to recall all of him memories of them together, even though Cana said that he wouldn't. However, that was probably due to that witch Dimaria, since he did not recognize her when she had first seen him. Just being in his presence again made her want to cry and hug him, to feel that warmth that she always felt whenever they were together.

Her breath hitched when she felt his warm hand on hers gently tugging her back because she did not notice that he had stopped walking. "We are here." He said before sitting down on the grass cross-legged. Lucy started to register the scenery: beautiful rolling hills that gave off a gentle green glow in the sunlight, and a plain of yellow daffodils dotting it sparsely. Lucy took a deep breath of the air, and relished in the sweet scent that she smelled. It was unlike anything she would have smelled in her Magnolia.

After realizing that she had been standing too long and Natsu was looking at her weirdly, she quickly took a seat next to him, flattening her long skirt which happened to have many rips in it. Lucy winced. It would take a lot of sewing to fix that up.

"Do not worry, I will have one of the ladies bring a change of clothes to your fitting when we return to the village." Natsu said.

"Speaking of which, I thought you were supposed to give me a tour." Lucy said with a playful smile on her lips. Natsu gave a small smile back to her before looking across the plain. Her chest started to clench. She really missed that smile of his.

"You looked too confused about the situation to comprehend anything I would have told you." Natsu explained softly. Lucy gave out a little chuckle, and Natsu couldn't help but take another glance at her before his expression turned solemn. "...How are you here Lucy? What happened?" Natsu asked. Lucy gave a heavy sigh.

"I have been asking myself that question since I got here." Lucy said as she laid back and stared at the cloudless blue sky. It may seem silly, but she was amazed how similar the sky four hundred years ago and her sky were. If there was nothing else around, she could have pretended that she was back home. Natsu was still sitting up, probably finding the close proximity their faces would be in if he copied her actions inappropriate. Lucy had to bite back a grin at the thought. _He does not seem to have changed at all. He's still as polite as ever._

"I have conflicting emotions about having you here." Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. Natsu pivoted his body to face her. "I am happy, no...overjoyed that I get to see you again, but with the conditions that we had met in, I have no greater wish than for you to be home safe." Natsu said.

"Happiness and fear? That sums up my emotions pretty well, too." Lucy joked. Natsu gave her a smile once again, happy that the mod between them was lightening. There were so many things that he still wanted to ask her, and he was sure there were a ton of things that she wanted to ask him, but for now, their friendly conversation was enough. He missed when they used to have those, since he was never allowed to converse with anyone like that in his village.

Natsu then stared down at his hands. How come he forgot about her all this time? He remembers seeing images of her in his memory, but he remembers not remembering who she was. That was seemingly impossible, because it was very hard for him to forget someone like Lucy, but he had. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. He promised her that he would remember her, but he had not, and not keeping one's word was taboo among his people.

Natsu was broken out of his thoughts when he felt a warm hand clasp his. He looked down at Lucy in shock, only to see that she was not looking back at him, but instead looking at the sky with unshed tears in her glossy eyes.

"I thought you had forgotten me..." She trailed off, and Natsu almost let his eyes widen in surprise. "Cana told me...that you would forget me once you returned to your time." She choked out. She took an enormous sniff before sitting back up again, not wanting the tears that were now dripping down her face to enter her ears. She quickly wiped her tears on her sleeve. She didn't like anyone seeing her cry, but she felt more comfortable around Natsu, and she knew that she could show her true feelings around him.

Natsu, on the other hand, was having a difficult time trying to figure out how to console her. He wasn't trained how to react to certain social situations, and that incompetence was more than showing right now. However, if there was anything that he had learned from his time in the future, it was that when a friend was in need of help or support, you can do whatever you think will make them feel better.

So that was what Natsu did.

He drew Lucy in close for a hug, resting his chin on top of her head. They were lucky that they were in private, because such public displays of affection would be discourteous in his village, but he knew that his attempts to calm her were working when she let herself relax in his arms, her sobs becoming less and less audible.

"I did." He answered honestly. Lucy saw that coming. She could tell from the way he reacted to her when they first reunited. "But now I remember. I remember the first day you had found me in the woods, the weather of the day that you employed me, and the kindness and care you had given me throughout my entire stay with you. It matters not what I _had_ forgotten, but what I _have_ remembered, Lucy." Natsu said. His gentle voice soothed her nerves, and she found herself smiling again. It was not long after he said this that she gave a short laugh.

"Funny, I'm not used to you calling me my name without an honorific, after all the time I have been trying to convince you to do so." Lucy said as she wiped one last tear from her face.

Natsu seemed to take this the wrong way. "Does it bother you? If so, my sincerest apolo-" Natsu couldn't finish before he was bonked lightly on the head. Before he could think that Lucy was mad at him, she had started to laugh.

"You dork, of course I don't mind! It just brings us closer as friends, right?" Lucy asked. Natsu smiled back at her before nodding.

"You are correct." He said. "But, if I may ask, what is a... _dork_?" Natsu asked. Lucy slammed her palm against her face and gave a jovial sigh. It was just like the days where she had to explain all of the modern terms to Natsu. She missed that, and now it gives her motivation to converse with him in more confusing modern words just so he could ask that she explain them to him. It was funny to watch his puzzlement.

Natsu and Lucy spent the rest of the day on top of the rolling hills, just enjoying the others presence. After not feeling it for a while, it was like a drug that neither of them could get of of. It was not like they were trying to, anyway.

They decided that they would worry about their predicament, magic, and other connotations of things that they could not pull out of their verbatim the following day. Today, they decided that there was nothing they would rather do than spend time with each other.

Standing multiple feet behind them, with his robes flowing steadily in the breeze, was a shadowy figure. This figure watched as his most precious person interacted with a girl who was unknown to everyone in the village. He kept a skeptical eye trained on her, but could not help but soften his gaze when he saw how comfortable his brother was around her. If she were truly evil, Natsu would have suspected it. He was, despite what most people in the village said, very perceptive of character, after all.

Lord Spriggan breathed a heavy sigh, but not heavy enough that it would rouse the sense of the ones before him. With that, he let his brother and the golden-haired girl have some peace. Tomorrow's questioning will not be able to be avoided, though.

 **Hi guys! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know that not a lot went on here, and maybe some of you readers expected more out of their reactions than what I delivered, which is totally okay, but I feel like with all that has happened, to be shocked by the magic and the tricks that are being played would be a little far-fetched, don't you think? To put in other words: these guys have been through so much shit that anything that comes at them can't be a surprise anymore. I hope that I am able to answer any questions that you guys have in the next chapter, where I hope to bring everything together for it to make sense.**

 **So, until then, I hope that everyone is happy, and I wish you fantastic days for all of your days to come (if that makes sense...just...oh, you know the regular message!) See you guys next time!**


	20. Author's Note

**Dear Wonderful Readers,**

 **Please read because it contains important information...**

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well!

I know I have not updated in a long time, and I really apologize for being MIA for so long. It has almost been a year since I updated my story, and I kind of left it at a cliffhanger...

Sorry for that, guys.

I just wanted to make this little note to tell you guys that I will _probably_ not be continuing this story. I have just lost my passion for writing right now, and I don't want to make anyone wait with false hope (well...it's not like anyone's life revolves around my story...). I appreciate all of the comments and feedback that you all have given me, I truly do. However, I am very tied up with things right now, as I'm sure many of you can relate to. I wish I could be like a lot of amazing authors out there and still continue to write while tackling other things. But alas, I am not that good.

Another note: many people have pointed our spelling or grammar errors in my writing, and I THANK you for that. You may not believe it, but I'm actually kind of a grammar policewoman in real life. The reason there are so many errors is because I never proofread my work before I publish it, since I am in such a rush to get my chapters out. Now looking back on it, that was _completely_ disrespectful to you guys. You all deserve the best quality of writing possible, and I'm so sorry that I was not able to deliver that to you.

I have absolutely no excuse for that. If I do decide to update again, I will learn from my mistakes and actually look through my work. Once again, I am so sorry about that inconvenience.

Yeah...my writing was pretty cringe, not going to lie.

I've probably looked through this message a couple of times to make sure there are no errors.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know this. I have not been of FF since I've updated (okay...maybe once or twice for nostalgic purposes), and quite honestly, I never find time in my schedule for it: whether it is for reading or writing. I do not mean to say that I have _grown out_ of FanFiction, because that would demean the site as childish. No, I am simply saying that I do not have time for it. If you are passionate about this site, and it makes you happy, then I encourage you to keep on it.

This note was a lot longer than I wanted it to be. I thank you all so much for supporting me throughout all of these years, and I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of you. If you ever need anything, the PM system is still set up to the inbox of one of my e-mails. Don't be afraid to message me if you need anything, regardless if it related to FF or not.

For old-time's sake...

I hope that everyone is having an absolutely fantastic day wherever they are! Stay cool (or warm if you are in the Southern Hemisphere)! I love you guys!

~RansomeNote

(Little secret, I did not know 'ransom' had no 'e' when I made the account. When I found out like ten minutes later, I was just too lazy to change it...)

Goodbye! :)


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